Results 18,921-18,940 of 20,895 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 560 together. I intend in the coming months to make the commencement order and regulations that will enable the new tenant purchase scheme for existing local authority houses along incremental purchase lines to come into operation under Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014. I have not finalised the detailed terms of the new...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 574 and 588 of 30 September 2014 which sets out the position in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 527 and 528 together. Following the completion of consultation in the matter with the Minister for Health, I have decided that Irish Water customers with high water consumption due to medical conditions will have their bills capped at the relevant assessed charge, on the basis of self-declaration of eligibility. This will apply even where a water meter has...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Expenditure (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Funding provided by my Department to local authorities for social housing encompasses a range of programmes and actions. My Department publishes a wide range of housing statistics, including historical data on social housing output since 2005. These statistics are available on my Department’s website at: The main areas of social housing capital investment are the local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Funding (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Funding under the LEADER element of the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme is fully committed. However, I expect that the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme will commence during 2015 and there is potential under this Programme to fund the restoration of buildings if it is identified as a priority in the Local Development Strategy for the area.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. The water meters being installed by Irish Water are mechanical and so they begin to record the flow of water through the meter from the date of installation. Every meter is fitted with Automatic Meter Reading (AMR)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Yield (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 532 and 545 together. The Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 provides for the transfer of water services functions from local authorities to Irish Water and provides for local authorities to act as agents for Irish Water. Local authorities have continued billing, collections and billing/metering query functions in relation to non-domestic customers on behalf of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: EU Directives (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department is currently finalising draft regulations to give further and better effect to the transposition of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive in Irish law. I hope to sign the regulations into law in the near future.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Applications (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department provides funding to local authorities for various social housing supports, including for adaptations and extensions to the social housing stock to meet needs of tenants with a disability or to address serious overcrowding. My Department gave approval in this case to Sligo County Council on 31 July 2014 and it is now a matter for the Council to advance the project.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 535, 544 and 566 together. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides Irish Water with the power to charge customers in respect of the services provided. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) and the CER has been given statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 536, 538 and 542 together. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides Irish Water with the power to charge customers in respect of the services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) which has been given statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 537, 550 and 561 together. Under the Water Services Acts 2007-2013, Irish Water may request its customers and certain specified persons or bodies, including the Minister for Social Protection, to provide it with information so that it can perform its functions under these Acts. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water is responsible for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. There is currently no database of customers connected to the public water system and Irish Water is in the process of developing such a database. They have recently sent over 2 million customer validation packs to homes for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Funding (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: In line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, the Local Action Groups (LAGs) are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development strategy of the individual groups and in line with the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Domestic water charges commenced with effect from 1 October 2014 and Irish Water will issue the first bills to domestic customers from January 2015. The approach to charging was outlined by Irish Water in a Water Charges Plan (WCP) submitted to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) in line with the provisions of the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013. Following a recent consultation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Supply (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels. Irish Water has advised that the majority of leaks are underground on both public mains and on customers’ supply pipes, requiring significant effort and specialist technology to find them. Water usage is monitored...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The provisions of my Department’s Vote for next year are under consideration at present in the context of work leading to Budget 2015 on 14 October 2014 .

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Planning Issues (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 547 to 549, inclusive, together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 570 of 30 September 2014 which sets out the position on this matter. The preparation of the Planning Review Report 2012 was undertaken in house by departmental staff, therefore the only costs were the salary and associated costs of the officials engaged in preparing the report. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Grant Payments (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department provides funding towards a range of housing supports, all of which are delivered through local authorities. For example, the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme provides grants of up to € 8,000 to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out. The detailed administration of these schemes, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Security of the Elderly (7 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 552 and 555 together. As Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, I am responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the Seniors Alert Scheme, which are designed to guide its operation, to ensure optimum outcomes and to ensure that public funds are properly applied. My Department manages the Scheme which encourages community...