Results 3,701-3,720 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (13 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: No full-time specialists have been openly recruited to date by my Department in the areas of information technology procurement and capital project evaluation and management. There have been no secondments of IT procurement specialists between my Department and the private sector or vice versa.

Written Answers — Compulsory Purchase Orders: Compulsory Purchase Orders (13 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Pursuant to section 214 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, I have no function in relation to the compulsory acquisition of land by a local authority and consequently I have no information on the extent to which powers of compulsory acquisition are being utilised by such authorities.

Written Answers — North-South Co-operation: North-South Co-operation (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: My Department is undertaking a number of ongoing actions to promote co-operation on North South environmental issues. These are outlined below. There is a high level of North/ South co-ordination in relation to water quality matters, particularly in context of the EU Water Framework Directive. The North/South Working Group on Water Quality was set up by the North South Ministerial Council...

Written Answers — Electoral Boundaries: Electoral Boundaries (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Work is underway on the drafting of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008 which will, inter alia, provide for revision of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies in accordance with the recommendations of the Constituency Commission which reported in October 2007. The Bill will also provide for the establishment of future Constituency Commissions on publication by CSO of the preliminary...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I published for public consultation the Draft Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas on 10 February. The public consultation period is for 12 weeks and closes at 4pm on Tuesday 6 May 2008. All comments and submissions on the draft guidelines will be welcome within the consultation period.

Written Answers — Urban Renewal Schemes: Urban Renewal Schemes (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The National Development Plan provides for EU and Exchequer investment of some €170 million to facilitate the ongoing closure of the urban and village renewal measure of the Regional Operational Programmes 2000-2006, and to support the implementation of a new urban renewal programme for the period to 2013. I intend shortly to announce details of this programme.

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I am providing some €999.2m in general purpose grants from the Local Government Fund to local authorities for 2008. These grants are my contribution to meet the difference between the cost to local authorities of providing an acceptable level of day to day services and the income available to them from local sources and from specific grants. The amount being made available for these grants...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The information requested in the question is set out in the attached tables. General purpose grants from the Local Government Fund are my contribution to meet the difference between the cost to local authorities of providing an acceptable level of day to day services and the income available to them from local sources and from specific grants. These grants are allocated having regard to a...

Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 236 together. The Ennis Town Water Supply (Treatment) Scheme is being funded under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009 and will provide a new water treatment plant for the town. I understand that the scheme is now under construction. Special Local Government Fund assistance has been made available in 2006 and 2007 to...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Under the Waste Management (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) Regulations 1998, as amended by the Waste Management (Use of Sewage Sludge in Agriculture) (Amendment) Regulations 2001, a supplier of sewage sludge for use in agriculture is required to notify the local authority in whose functional area the sludge is to be used of details of the quantities of sludge produced, the composition...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The combined Adare and Patrickswell Sewerage Scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009 as a scheme to start construction in 2008. I approved Limerick County Council's proposals to proceed separately with the Patrickswell element of the scheme in October 2007 because of potential land acquisition delays in Adare. I understand that the Council is now...

Written Answers — Register of Electors: Register of Electors (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: In law the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. In working to compile the Register for 2007/8, which was in force at the general election last year, local authorities undertook and completed the most...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (14 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: In regard to waste collection charges the position is that the determination of such charges is a matter for the waste service provider, whether a local authority or a private service provider. I understand that the cost pressures on schools are taken into account by the Department of Education and Science in determining the levels of annual increases in the capitation grants paid to schools...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (19 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 (Noise) Regulations 1994, a person may seek an order in the District Court to have noise giving reasonable cause for annoyance abated. The procedures involved have been simplified to allow action to be taken without legal representation. A public information leaflet outlining the legal options available to persons experiencing noise...

Written Answers — Percent for Art Scheme: Percent for Art Scheme (19 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 671 and 672 together. The provision and management of capital projects and any associated art works funded through my Department's capital programmes are matters primarily for the local authorities. My Department does not have comprehensive data on projects which have incorporated an artistic feature under this scheme. General National Guidelines on the Per...

Written Answers — Financial Management Systems: Financial Management Systems (19 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: My Department has one financial management system, namely Oracle E-Business Suite that was provided by Oracle EMEA Ltd. The cost of maintaining the software in 2007 was €147K.

Written Answers — Local Government Elections: Local Government Elections (19 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The provisions governing local authority membership and local authority employment are set out in sections 13 and 161 of the Local Government Act 2001. Under section 13 of the Act, a person employed by a local authority who is not the holder of a class, description, or grade of employment designated by order under section 161 is disqualified from being elected or co-opted to, or from being a...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (19 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Details of the recoupments made by my Department to South Tipperary County Council during the period 2002 to 2007 in respect of sewerage schemes funded under the Water Services Investment Programme are set out in the following Table. In addition, my Department made block grant allocations to the Council in each of these years under the small public schemes measure of the devolved Rural...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (19 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: In the context of Partnership and the agricultural agreement made under Towards 2016, a formal consultation mechanism is in place between the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the farming representative bodies. This facilitates regular consultation in relation to issues involving designated land and the...

Written Answers — Architectural Heritage: Architectural Heritage (19 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Ireland ratified the World Heritage Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage in 1991. Nominations to the World Heritage List are considered only if a nominated property has been included on the State Party's tentative list i.e. an inventory of those cultural and natural heritage properties considered to be of outstanding and unique value. There are...