Results 2,661-2,680 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Urban Renewal Schemes: Urban Renewal Schemes (8 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: Under the town renewal scheme 2000, a total of ten sites in Kilcock were designated for tax incentive purposes, eight for refurbishment incentives and two for refurbishment-new-build incentives. Further information on the current position regarding specific projects in the towns concerned may appropriately be sought from the local authority concerned.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: All EU member states are required to adopt nitrates action programmes, including appropriate mandatory regulatory provisions, in order to give effect to the nitrates directive. The purpose of these regimes is to protect surface and groundwaters against pollution from agriculture by prescribing appropriate standards of environmental management for farming. Other EU measures in support of...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The determination of waste management charges is statutorily a matter for the relevant local authority, where it acts as the service provider. Similarly, where a private operator provides the collection service, it is a matter for that operator to determine charges. With regard to any waiver arrangements in respect of these charges, it is a matter for the local authority concerned to...

Written Answers — Noise Pollution: Noise Pollution (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: Section 107 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 provides local authorities with powers to require measures to be taken to prevent or limit noise. Furthermore, under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (Noise) Regulations 1994, a local authority or any person may seek an order in the District Court to have noise giving reasonable cause for annoyance abated. The procedures...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department will shortly compile planning statistics from local authorities for the year 2005, including income generated from development contributions. As soon as they are available, the 2005 statistics will be published and a copy will be sent to the Oireachtas Library.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department's guidelines for planning authorities on quarries and ancillary activities, published in April 2004, are available on our website at www.environ.ie. I should point out, however, that the guidelines are not intended to deal with health and safety issues associated with blasting, such as flyrock, as these are the responsibility of the Health and Safety Authority. The guidelines...

Written Answers — Motor Taxation: Motor Taxation (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The total number of vehicles registered for motor tax, that is, currently taxed at 31 December in the years in question were 1,682,221 in 2000; 2,036,307 in 2004 and 2,138,680 in 2005.

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: Specific grants are not provided to local authorities for road markings on regional roads. However, my Department introduced a five-year regional road signposting programme in 2003 with the aim of providing directional signposts on all significant junctions on all regional roads in county council areas. In 2006, a sum of €6.64 million has been allocated to county councils under the regional...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The extension of the Tuam regional water supply scheme to Shrule is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 to start construction this year. I have approved Galway County Council's recommended tender for the mechanical and electrical element of the scheme and it is a matter for the council to arrange for the carrying out of these works. The council's tender...

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: An offer to purchase will issue from my Department in this case shortly.

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: In July 2004 my Department concluded an agreement with the farming pillar under Sustaining Progress, which involved increased rates of compensation for the cessation of turf cutting in bogs that have been proposed as designated conservation areas. This agreement incorporated retrospective provisions benefiting landowners who participated in the original 1999 scheme for disposal of raised bogs...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: Creggs sewerage scheme was fourth on the list of sewerage schemes submitted by Galway County Council in response to my Department's request to local authorities in 2003 to produce updated assessments of the needs for capital works in their areas and to prioritise their proposals on the basis of the assessments. The assessments were taken into account in the framing of the Water Services...

Written Answers — Natural Heritage Areas: Natural Heritage Areas (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: Sluice River Marsh, Portmarnock, County Dublin was one of numerous sites publicly advertised from 1994 onwards on a non-statutory basis as proposed natural heritage areas NHAs. The Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 provides for the statutory designation of NHAs. To date, I have designated 148 raised bog and blanket bog sites as NHAs and I expect to advertise proposals for further NHAs, selected...

Written Answers — Civil Service Travel Scheme: Civil Service Travel Scheme (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department applies a closing date in mid-November each year to ensure tickets are available from the various travel companies for the commencement of the scheme in January. The scheme generally operates on an annual basis and, accordingly, it would not be appropriate to staff employed for less than a year in a temporary or seasonal manner. Some 250 staff are benefiting from the scheme.

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: Details of the 2006 non-national road grant allocations by my Department to each local authority are set out in the following table: 2006 Total Allocation â'¬ County Councils Carlow 6,962,000 Cavan 15,635,000 Clare 18,942,000 Cork 50,501,500 Donegal 35,399,000 Dún Laoghaire / Rathdown 9,205,000 Fingal 7,225,389 Galway 28,788,604 Kerry...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (9 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: In determining the annual non-national road grant allocations, the overall objective is to resource each local authority appropriately in regard to their ongoing and special needs. The process is guided by a range of criteria, including road pavement conditions, traffic volumes, length of road network, population and eligibility in relation to specific projects such as EU co-financed specific...

Proposed Legislation. (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The Local Government Act 2001 provided for a new and comprehensive ethics framework for those involved in local government. This built on long-standing ethics requirements on local authority councillors and staff under planning legislation, which predated other legislation. Part 15 of the Act was brought into operation from January 2003 and the codes of conduct for councillors and employees...

Proposed Legislation. (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I am aware of the comments made by the SIPO commission. My major concern is the evident lacuna which was demonstrated in this House in a number of contributions in recent months. I will continue to keep my eye on all aspects that touch on the issue of public confidence in the elected or administrative sides of local government. The current arrangements I have with the SIPO commission and...

Proposed Legislation. (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The idea has some merit but it came about in a different set of circumstances in Britain where local government operates on a different basis. The executive functions that are the preserve of officials here are sometimes shared by councillors in Britain and this followed a series of extraordinary corruption cases. It is not always necessary to follow the British model slavishly but the point...

Proposed Legislation. (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: We can discuss it later. It is a very interesting area of discussion.