Results 361-380 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (8 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: Information requested on ancillary equipment procured as part of the electronic voting and counting project is set out in the following table. No detailed information is available in my Department on the sourcing of the parts concerned: Ancillary Equipment Procurement Organised By Contract Awarded To Customised Tilt Tables for Voting Machines (for access by disabled voters) Open...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (8 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 524 and 528 together. I have no plans to review retail planning guidelines in respect of food stores. I recently announced the decision to amend the retail planning guidelines, with effect from 1 February 2005, to provide that the floor space cap on retail warehouses will no longer apply within the functional areas of the four Dublin local authorities and in...

Written Answers — Food Industry: Food Industry (8 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: Article 18 of European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste prohibits member states from impeding the placing on the market of packaging which satisfies the provisions of the directive, namely, which is in accordance with the essential requirements specified in Annex II of the directive as to the composition and the reusable and recoverable nature of...

Written Answers — Environmental Protection Agency: Environmental Protection Agency (8 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: The information requested is set out in the following table: Board of EPA Directors Date appointed by Government Employment prior to appointment as EPA Director Dr. Mary Kelly, Director General April 2002 Assistant Director, IBEC Padraic Larkin April 2003 (for second term of 5 years) Programme Manager, EPA Larry Stapleton June 2003 Programme Manager, EPA Laura Burke July...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (8 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: The Arklow main drainage scheme has been approved for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2004-2006 as a scheme to start construction this year at an estimated cost of €15.6 million. This scheme has been the subject of detailed public, technical and legal scrutiny that has extended over many years, together with third party appeals to An Bord Pleanála, the most...

Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (8 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: The extension of the Tuam regional water supply scheme to Headford has been approved for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2004-2006. This scheme, which has an estimated cost of €27.9 million, includes proposals to increase the treatment and pumping capacity of Galway County Council's water treatment plant at Luimnagh from approximately 23,000m3 to 48,000m3 per...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (8 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: My Department has made a number of appointments from the interdepartmental Civil Service panels since January 2004. Appointments of three principal officers, six assistant principal officers and two higher executive officers were conditional that an agreement be signed that they were willing to decentralise. None of these appointees has refused to sign the relevant agreement to decentralise...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (8 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: Backyard burning of domestic waste is now considered to contribute significantly to dioxin emissions, more so than any planned use of thermal treatment. It is my view that the best way to tackle this phenomenon is to develop awareness of the environmental and health consequences, while also ensuring that there is a strong and effective regulatory regime in place. As part of the very...

Election Management System. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2004 confirms the policy objective of electronic voting and counting at Irish elections and that maintains the mandate to my Department from the Oireachtas to work towards implementation of this objective. In this context, my Department is developing, in parallel with the continuing work of the Commission on Electronic Voting, a programme for further assessment,...

Election Management System. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy is correct to suggest that until confidence is established in the system, I will not advocate testing it. The initial comments, however, are a tiny bit rich because one must remember that most of the political parties, if not all, had some positive things to say about this system.

Election Management System. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: Deputy O'Dowd's party published a good leaflet on the issue in Meath. It is easy with hindsight to ask certain questions. The issue of a voter verifiable audit trail, VVAT, is not the only one. It is worth pointing out that there is no national system where VVAT is in operation. I concede this is an area where it is necessary to make haste slowly because it concerns the level of confidence...

Election Management System. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy is quite right in that I will not forecast a date by which we can move to the next stage of trial. I do not agree with the hypothesis underlying the Deputy's question that a VVAT is an absolute sine qua non. It is not used elsewhere and, initially, it was not a key policy issue of concern arising in the context of electronic voting. As the Deputy and anybody who goes to the trouble...

Election Management System. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy should remember there are many contentions on both sides. In fact, in submissions attached to the report, many extreme statements are made on issues. There are different views among the specialists in this area. A VVAT is not universally regarded as a sine qua non of any voting system.

Social and Affordable Housing. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: They are very careful readers.

Departmental Procurement Policies. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: This is a fine report which was produced in exemplary fashion. It is a good example of the expediency that should attach to these types of issues. On 27 January 2005, the Taoiseach directed that arrangements be made to implement, as appropriate, the recommendations of the Quigley report. I understand that advice to all Departments in regard to the main recommendations of the report will be...

Departmental Procurement Policies. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: It is an excellent report and the conclusions which it reaches have not been portrayed accurately in the somewhat brusque and politically apposite summary that Deputy McCormack has produced. Regarding the reappointment of the consultant in question, I have made it clear form the outset that my preference is to rely on the Department's press office and other departmental resources....

Departmental Procurement Policies. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: It is a hypothetical consideration as to what I would do in those circumstances.

Departmental Procurement Policies. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: Deputy McCormack is entitled to ask and I am entitled to answer in the manner I consider appropriate. This is a hypothetical scenario about which I am not willing to speculate. I do not know what the situation was at the time. However, I know that Mr. Quigley's report puts a somewhat different snas on the issues than that suggested by Deputy McCormack. I draw the Deputy's attention to what is...

Departmental Procurement Policies. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: I have indicated neither because I did not know the state of play in the Department at that time.

Departmental Procurement Policies. (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: It is an entirely fatuous question——