Results 19,061-19,080 of 20,984 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (1 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water is responsible for public water services and can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. If a customer is in receipt of a wastewater disposal service from Irish Water, they will be charged accordingly. The Waste Water Discharge (Authorisation) Regulations 2007 provide for the authorisation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (1 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 177 to 179, inclusive, together. Provisions for elections to Seanad Éireann are set out in Article 18 of the Constitution, in the Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937 and the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act 1947. These Acts make provision for the nomination of candidates for general elections and bye elections having regard as necessary to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (1 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 182 together. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 550, 571, 580, 581, 582, 587 and 594 of 30 September 2014. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (1 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 183 together. The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group and assigned the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the water metering programme. Irish Water has informed my Department that each water meter has a low power radio unit...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (1 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184, 187 and 189 together. With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (1 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: Pursuant to the so-called EU Effort-Sharing Decision of 2009 (Decision No. 406/2009/EC), Ireland has ambitious, legally binding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for each year between 2013 and 2020, inclusive. Under the Decision, emissions in the year 2013 should be no more than the average of those same emissions in the years 2008 to 2010.  In the year 2020, the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (1 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: It is a matter for each local authority to manage its own finances in a prudent and sustainable manner. Under the Local Government Act 2001, a decision to borrow money is a reserved function of the elected members of a local authority. Section 106 of the Act determines that local authorities must obtain the consent of the appropriate Minister to undertake borrowing. Local authorities are...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (1 Oct 2014)

Alan Kelly: I refer to the reply to Question No. 591of 30 September 2014 which sets out the position in the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Construction Regulations (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department has been working with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure the industry was aware of, and prepared for, the implementation of the Construction Products Regulation in Ireland. I also understand that a significant number of steel fabricators operating in the State have already established the systems necessary to comply with their obligations under the Construction Products...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Issues (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: The Dublin Housing Supply Task Force has 11 members. It is chaired by the Chief Executive of South Dublin County Council, and consists of: - 1 representative of my Department; - the Director of Service for Planning from each of the four Dublin local authorities; - 1 representative from the Department of Finance; - 1 representative from the Housing Agency; - 1 representative from Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: There is currently a civil remedy available concerning branches or roots of neighbouring trees encroaching on one's property. I will, however, give consideration to the proposal concerned with regard to trees acutely impacting on neighbouring properties in the context of the forthcoming review of legislation in this area within my Department. The UK model is one legislative option in this...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 550, 571, 580 to 582, inclusive, 587 and 594 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 the Company can perform its functions under these Acts . The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local and Community Development Programme Project Funding (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 551 to 554, inclusive, 557 to 560, inclusive, and 579 together. My Department’s Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. The current Programme officially ended at the end of 2013 having operated for four years with funding of €281m over that period.  It is being...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department commenced a public consultation in December 2013 on proposed “draft” revisions to the existing 2006 Wind Energy Development Guidelines focusing specifically on the issues of noise, setbacks and shadow flicker. These draft revisions propose: - The setting of a more stringent day and night noise limit of 40 decibels for future wind energy developments, - A...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Homeless Accommodation Provision (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of accommodation for homeless persons rests with individual housing authorities and the purposes for which housing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water 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)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Voluntary Housing Sector (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: Approved housing bodies (AHBs) are organisations approved under section 6 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 to provide social housing support in conjunction with local authorities. These organisations include voluntary housing associations. Since the late 1980s, close to 25,000 units of accommodation have been provided under capital funding schemes underpinned by mortgages....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Hydraulic Fracturing (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: Following an announcement inNovember 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invited tenders for a joint programme of research into the potential environmental impacts from hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ as a means of extracting natural gas from underground reserves. The procurement process for the appointment of the consultants was carried out by the EPA. As the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: In line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development, there are 35 Local Action Groups (LAGs) contracted, on my Department’s behalf, to deliver the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP) throughout the country. The relevant LAG in respect of the project s referred to is Mayo North East LEADER Partnership (MNELP), which is the principal...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (30 Sep 2014)

Alan Kelly: I understand that there have been a number of issues with respect to the project in question which have taken some considerable time to resolve. However, I understand that all outstanding issues have recently been resolved and that a payment is due to issue to Mayo North East LEADER Partnership (MNELP) shortly.