Results 2,781-2,800 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department is co-operating with the Department of Finance, the decentralisation implementation group, DIG, and the Office of Public Works to ensure the Government's decentralisation programme is implemented efficiently and effectively. The programme involves the relocation of my Department's operations to four locations in the south east, Wexford, Waterford, New Ross and Kilkenny. In...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department has been in discussion with the newsprint industry with a view to developing a producer responsibility initiative, PRI, for the recovery and recycling of newspapers and magazines. A joint industry taskforce, comprising the Regional Newspapers Association of Ireland, RNAI, Irish Retail Newsagents Association, IRNA, Newspread and Eason Wholesale Limited, and co-ordinated by...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I understand that meetings took place between officials of my Department and the company in question in summer 2003 and that my predecessor, accompanied by officials, met representatives of the company early in 2004. At no point have I as Minister met the company. My Department and I hold regular consultations with stakeholders in the context of the ongoing implementation of Government policy...

Written Answers — Sustainable Development Strategy: Sustainable Development Strategy (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department is undertaking a wide range of initiatives to ensure that the unprecedented rate of population growth and housing development being experienced in Ireland is planned for in a manner that will over the longer term support more balanced regional development and the creation of sustainable urban areas and communities. Many of these initiatives have the full support of the NESC,...

Written Answers — Register of Electors: Register of Electors (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The compilation and publication of the register of electors is a matter for each local registration authority in accordance with electoral law and it is the duty of registration authorities to ensure as far as possible the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the register. Local authorities fund their general expenditure, including in regard to the register, from a variety of sources, including...

Written Answers — Fire Stations: Fire Stations (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The provision of a fire service is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities and my Department has no direct role in this matter. Each local authority has a major emergency plan for dealing with major incidents and such plans take account of particular potentially hazardous facilities within the functional area concerned. Major emergency plans are reviewed on a regular basis and...

Written Answers — Litter Pollution: Litter Pollution (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The litter action plan, the national anti-litter strategy, adopts a multi-sectoral approach — with broadly based local partnerships with local authorities taking the lead role — as the basis for combating litter. Key actions continuing or implemented under the litter action plan are as follows: developing and implementing the national litter pollution monitoring system and publicising...

Written Answers — Local Authority Property: Local Authority Property (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: In regard to the purchase and disposal of land, local authorities operate within the framework of relevant legislative provisions, notably those of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Local Government Act 2001. In addition, the extensive legislative and administrative procedures set out in EU public procurement directives and related guidelines govern the activities of local...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The Achill Sound sewerage scheme has been approved for construction under my Department's water services investment programme 2005-2007. In common with all projects funded under the programme, this scheme is subject to water services pricing policy. Local authorities must ensure that the design and scale of individual schemes takes account of the implications of the pricing policy framework....

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 198, 216 and 621 together. Record levels of funding have been provided for new and upgraded water and waste water infrastructure under the current national development plan. The additional capacity this has produced has made a direct and substantial contribution to strengthening economic performance by facilitating industrial and residential development and by...

Written Answers — Fire Stations: Fire Stations (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department has implemented a number of the important recommendations of the report review of fire safety and fire services in Ireland. These include in particular the enactment of the Licensing of Indoor Events Act 2003, which addressed a number of legislative changes called for in the review. In addition, the high level of capital investment in the fire service has been continued and now...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 208 together. As part of the response to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of April 2002 on the operation of the planning appeals system, a committee of officials from my Department and An Bord Pleanála was established to meet to assist in responding to the recommendations of that report. Arising out of the discussions of that...

Written Answers — Site Maintenance: Site Maintenance (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department is mandated by a Government decision to maintain and secure this site, to conduct a suitable site investigation and to prepare a report for Government on the results of that investigation. The site investigation works have now been completed and my Department expects to have the resulting interpretative reports within a few weeks. The deteriorating condition of a number of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Audit: Departmental Audit (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The internal financial controls of my Department are reviewed regularly and amended and updated as appropriate, particularly in the context of the preparation of the statement on internal financial controls which must accompany the annual appropriation account. My Department's internal audit unit also reviews internal control and risk management systems on an ongoing basis and provides...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2004 report showed that 10,176 complaints regarding unauthorised developments were investigated by planning authorities in 2004. As this was the first national report on service indicators, no comparable information is available in respect of 2003. I expect to receive the 2005 report on service indicators from the local government management...

Written Answers — Architectural Heritage: Architectural Heritage (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the replies to Question No. 413 of 12 October 2005, Question No. 637 of 25 October 2005 and Question No. 111 of 29 November 2005. Statutory protection of the architectural heritage is primarily a matter for the planning authorities to whom my Department provides advice in the exercise of their functions in that regard under the Planning and Development Act 2000. On 25 August 2005,...

Written Answers — Air Pollution: Air Pollution (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 658 together. Air quality assessment is the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and air quality management a matter for local authorities informed by air quality measurement data. The EPA's ambient air quality in Ireland report 2004, which is available in the Oireachtas Library, contains details of the monitoring and assessment...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 12 of 29 November 2005. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 and 643 together. The chief archaeologist post in my Department is occupied by an officer who holds a BA honours in archaeology and who has served in the national monuments service of the Office of Public Works, the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government since 1976,...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: Information technology hardware is within the scope of the EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE, and is therefore already fully provided for in the WEEE regulations.