Results 3,761-3,780 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (17 May 2006)

Dick Roche: Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, which was commenced on 11 March 2002, expressly provides that, where an order is made under section 11 of the Roads Act 1993 to take an estate in charge, any open spaces within the grounds of the development will be taken in charge as part of the overall development. Section 180 applies to housing estates for which permission has been...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (17 May 2006)

Dick Roche: On 26 January 2006 my Department issued Circular Letter PD 1/06 reminding planning authorities of their responsibilities in relation to the taking in charge of estates and asking that each authority adopt a policy in this regard. This circular also requested a report from each authority on the issues of estates to be taken in charge. The vast majority of returns have now been received and...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (17 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 331 and 332 together. In late 2005 I requested that a survey be carried out of planning authorities regarding their policy on attaching planning conditions relating to management companies in housing developments. The responses to that survey indicate that the majority of planning authorities do not attach conditions to planning permissions requiring...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (18 May 2006)

Dick Roche: No order has been made in respect of my Department to formally designate functions to the Ministers of State. However administrative arrangements are in place whereby Minister of State Ahern has overall responsibility for housing and urban development issues and Minister of State O'Keeffe has responsibility for a number of issues in the environmental and local government services areas.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (18 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The Office of Public works has identified a suitable site for my Department's headquarters in Wexford. OPW are currently in negotiations with the owners of the site, Wexford Borough Council with a view to purchasing it as soon as possible. The indicative timescale provided for the completion of the headquarters is Quarter 3 2008. The Wexford County Council and Wexford Borough Council are also...

Written Answers — Housing Issues: Housing Issues (18 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The comprehensive results of the 2005 housing needs assessment at individual local authority level will be published shortly in the Annual Bulletin of Housing Statistics and on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I assume that the Question relates to the implementation of EU Directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms and the role of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in that process. Under the Directive, the national competent authority to which the notification for placing on the market is submitted is charged with leading the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: Government policy on the control and regulation of numbers in the public sector, including local authorities, was announced in the Minister for Finance's Budget statement of 7 December 2005. Local authority staffing increased by over 25% in the period 1997 to 2003 and I am continuing to keep the overall employment position in the sector under regular review, having regard to the need to...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 518 and 519 together. Local authorities are responsible for the provision of road traffic signs on non-national roads. However, in line with a commitment in the Programme for Government to put in place a new 5 year plan to ensure that non-national roads are properly signposted, my Department introduced a new Regional Roads Signposting Programme for...

Written Answers — Community Wardens: Community Wardens (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: As indicated in reply to Question No. 448 of 15 December 2005, the pilot community warden service has now been put on a permanent footing in the five local authorities concerned in line with arrangements agreed by my Department. Practical issues concerning the extension of the service to other local authorities are currently being examined.

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: Details of this company's status under the Companies Acts were not considered by my Department to be material to the assessment of tender proposals for the services being procured. In any case, the company was registered with effect from 11 December 2002, prior to the completion of tender assessments by my Department and to the finalisation of the formal contract on 26 February 2003....

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The licensing by local authorities of waste water discharges has been subject to a prescribed fee since 1992 and there are no proposals to amend this position.

Written Answers — Official Hospitality: Official Hospitality (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department does not have a wine cellar. Wines are sourced from suppliers as required for the purpose of individual receptions or other events hosted in the Department.

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: Government policy on the control and regulation of numbers in the public sector, including local authorities, was announced in the Minister for Finance's Budget statement of 7 December 2005. I am keeping the overall position in the local government sector under regular review. As regards an individual post in a local authority, the County or City Manager is responsible for the staffing and...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The information requested is set out in the following table:

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 527 and 546 together. Last December I published a Public Consultation Notice announcing a review of Part M of the Building Regulations (Access for People with Disabilities) and the related Technical Guidance Document (TGD) M and inviting specific proposals to amend the existing Part M regime. Over 40 detailed submissions were made by individuals and...

Written Answers — Sustainable Development Strategy: Sustainable Development Strategy (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I understand from Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) that it is planned to start the training and certification of Building Energy Assessors in the second half of 2006.

Written Answers — International Biodiversity Day: International Biodiversity Day (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: International Biodiversity Day, which was celebrated yesterday, 22 May is an annual event designated by the United Nations with the objective of promoting public awareness across the globe of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Ireland ratified this convention in 1996. The world relies on biodiversity, which represents the variety of life on earth and is the fruit of billions of years...

Written Answers — City Boundaries: City Boundaries (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I met with the Limerick City Manager, and the Limerick County and Clare County Managers on 16 May 2006 with a view to initiating consideration of the range of options open to the three Councils in the context of the application by Limerick City Council for an alteration of the boundary of the City of Limerick, and my response of 5 April 2006 to the Limerick City Manager. The Managers have...

Written Answers — Strategic Development Zones: Strategic Development Zones (23 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I assume that the Question refers to Strategic Development Zones (SDZs). To date, three SDZs have been designated by Government under Section 166 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The Adamstown SDZ in South Dublin, with a site area of 210 hectares, was designated in 2001 and the Planning Scheme approved by An Bord Pleanála in 2003. The overall scheme involves a rolling ten-year...