Results 2,801-2,820 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

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

Dick Roche: The Mayo towns and villages sewerage scheme, of which The Neale is an element, is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 as a scheme to commence construction in 2007. My Department is awaiting submission of Mayo County Council's preliminary report for the scheme.

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

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 612 and 613 together. Consultations as referred to in Question No. 613 have taken place and the outcome has been reported to the Department of Finance. I do not consider it appropriate to indicate the individual preferences of officers concerned in my Department. However, my Department's decentralisation implementation plans, which are available at...

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

Dick Roche: Kilkenny County Council has submitted proposals in respect of the construction of new fire stations at Graiguenamanagh and Urlingford, County Kilkenny. These proposals will be considered in the context of the 2006 fire services capital programme having regard to overall, for fire services capital investment.

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

Dick Roche: The Black Freren Gate in Kilkenny City is a national monument in local authority ownership and is the subject of a preservation order. My Department has not received any application from Kilkenny city in relation to the restoration of the gate. I understand the Office of Public Works has been monitoring the condition of the gate and has found it to be stable. While my Department does not...

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

Dick Roche: The Kinvara sewerage scheme is included in my Department's water services investment programme, 2005 to 2007, as a scheme to start construction in 2007 at an estimated cost of €2.8 million. Galway County Council's revised preliminary report for the scheme is under examination in my Department and is being dealt with as quickly as possible. I have recently introduced new administrative...

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

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 347 of 8 February 2006.

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

Dick Roche: The Clonmellon sewerage treatment plant extension has been approved for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme, 2005 to 2007, under the serviced land initiative. I approved Westmeath County Council's contract documents for the scheme in November 2005 and it is now a matter for the council to advance the scheme through the tender process.

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

Dick Roche: Waste management services have traditionally been provided at a local level, with individual arrangements being locally determined and tailored to local circumstances. Under section 52 of the Protection of the Environment Act 2003, the determination of waste management charges is a matter for the relevant local authority, where it acts as the service provider. Similarly, where a private...

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

Dick Roche: The 2004 annual returns from planning authorities indicated that 470 full-time planners, 244 other professional staff and 265 part-time technical staff were employed in planning authorities. Annual returns for 2005 will be forwarded to my Department shortly. I am happy that this level of staff, which has substantially increased over the last ten years, is sufficient to sustain the existing...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department will compensate landowners for all proven costs incurred or losses sustained as a result of complying with the management requirements of the Shannon callows special protection area on the basis of a costed five year plan under a shortly to be announced national parks and wildlife service farm plan scheme. Where standard rates of payment can be agreed, these will be available to...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: In June 2005 I approved funding for the provision of new wastewater facilities at seven locations in County Tipperary as a pilot programme to test a range of new, small-scale wastewater collection and treatment systems under Irish conditions. The pilot programme, proposed by the national rural water monitoring committee, will also test a low cost, low maintenance system to collect, treat and...

Written Answers — Airport Development Projects: Airport Development Projects (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department did not meet any part of the cost for this report, which I understand was borne in full by the then Department of Public Enterprise, now the Department of Transport.

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

Dick Roche: I intend to introduce an amendment to existing compulsory acquisition legislation in the forthcoming Strategic Infrastructure Bill, to assist State bodies acquiring land in certain circumstances, and the feasibility of further amendment of such legislation is under consideration.

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

Dick Roche: Under section 7 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, it is a matter for each local authority to ensure that public roads — including national primary roads and motorways — in its functional area are, so far as practicable, kept free of litter.

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

Dick Roche: There were three substantial outcomes to the UN climate change conference, which took place last December in Montreal. The conference, as the first meeting of parties to the Kyoto Protocol, formally adopted both the 2001 Marrakech Accords, which sets out the detailed rules for implementation of the protocol, and a compliance regime to ensure parties meet their commitments under the protocol....

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

Dick Roche: The chairman of An Bord Pleanála has previously indicated that he met with representatives of the Irish Offshore Operators Association in September 2003 to discuss general matters relating to planning. The minutes of that meeting clearly show that the board refused to discuss an individual case. The correspondence related to that meeting shows that it had been arranged in July, and its...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The promotion of social inclusion is a key policy objective for Government. Local authorities have an important role in achieving this objective at local level, reflecting their democratic mandate, wide ranging service delivery functions and specific responsibilities in areas such as housing and community development. The Local Government Act 2001 identifies social inclusion as a core issue...

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

Dick Roche: The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources reported in June 2005 on non-ionising radiation from mobile phone handsets and masts. The report made 11 recommendations, including a recommendation that planning guidelines and planning exemptions should be examined with a view to ensuring no "electromagnetic emissions" or "radio frequency emissions" emitting...

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

Dick Roche: The publication, Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2004, by the Local Government Management Services Board reported on performance across 42 indicators of service, covering the broad range of local authority activities. These indicators were drawn up by the local government customer service group, following extensive consultation with local authorities. The customer service group is...

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

Dick Roche: The WEEE directive allows producers to show the cost of recovering and recycling "historic" waste, that is, waste arising from electric and electronic products put on the market before 13 August 2005. These costs are referred to as environmental management costs or EMCs. They are not imposed by or remitted to the Government, but are paid by producers to the two collective compliance schemes...