Results 3,881-3,900 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (8 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department has not received proposals from Kildare County Council in relation to a sewerage scheme at the location mentioned. Neither was such a proposal included in the list of schemes submitted by the Council in November 2003 in response to my Department's request to all local authorities to undertake assessments of the needs for capital works in their area and to prioritise their...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (8 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: Section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976 made it an offence for a person to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch during the period from 15 April to 31 August. The Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 extended this period by 6 weeks to cover the period from 1 March to 31 August and also included a provision that during this period the cutting, grubbing or...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (8 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: In January 2001, my Department approved Kildare County Council's application for funding for a proposed sewerage scheme at Rathangan under the Serviced Land Initiative. The Council subsequently sought approval for the proposal as a major capital project under the Water Services Investment Programme where it would attract a higher level of Departmental funding. The proposal was ranked eighth...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (8 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: The title of Chartered Engineer is already protected under the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act 1969 and the Building Control Bill 2005 does not alter this. It is hoped that the Committee Stage of the Bill will begin before the end of the current Dáil session.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: The report of the European Environment Agency, EEA, was published 1 November last. Since then, I engaged in extensive discussions on the report at a subsequent meeting of the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government. The report is based on 2003 data. While it showed Ireland to be approximately 12% above its Kyoto target, the latest EPA data for 2004 show that emissions were just...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: We are talking about ten percentage points above the target at present.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: Ten percentage points above——

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: One can jig it whatever way one wishes.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: Our target is 13 percentage points above the 1990 figures. There is no point in adding the 13 percentage points to the ten percentage points. That would be a miscalculation and I am sure that is not the Deputy's intention. The target we have to reach is ten percentage points from our present levels. We are above our target and the challenge is huge. A whole spectrum of measures is needed to...

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: I do not disagree with the Deputy that there would be value in looking at the issue but we should not take a lesson from the UK. As we are aware it is using the arguments about climate change and meeting the Kyoto targets as a thinly veiled excuse to develop the nuclear debate. The Deputy is correct in saying that society will have to meet the challenge and that Government direction alone...

Nuclear Policy. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: The recent submission by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to the British energy review consultation process affirms the Government's position on general nuclear power and, in particular, UK nuclear policies. The Government's concerns over the current and future UK policy on nuclear energy relate to the potential impact on the environment and health of Irish...

Nuclear Policy. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: The hypotheses on which Deputy Cuffe bases his assertions is false. I suspect the Deputy knows just how false it is. No À la carte attitude can be adopted in the contribution to the EU budget. I could debate long and hard with Deputy Cuffe on my personal views on EURATOM. I did so during the course of the Convention on the Future of Europe. Ireland and Austria stood alone on that issue and...

Nuclear Policy. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: No, I intend to respond fully to Deputy Stagg's question.

Nuclear Policy. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: The answer is simple. Taking court action against the UK is the appropriate course of action. We will deal with that when we come to Deputy Stagg's question. I do not disagree with the Deputy on diverting funding from EURATOM activities to renewables. Some of our neighbours are even investing in cleaning up their nuclear messes. If the Deputy has any doubts on the Government's view on nuclear...

Nuclear Policy. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: The recent European Court of Justice decision is about where the dispute between Ireland and the United Kingdom concerning Sellafield should be litigated. It does not deal with the merits of the dispute itself. In 2001, the Government instituted legal proceedings against the United Kingdom before the tribunal provided for under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The advice...

Nuclear Policy. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: I thank Deputy Stagg and acknowledge that he has been most supportive on this issue during my period in office. The judgment of the European Court of Justice is most interesting, especially if one reads it in the context of the earlier opinion given by the Advocate General. A most interesting new law was enacted on the jurisdictional right of the European Court of Justice in matters relating...

Nuclear Policy. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: Deputy Stagg is correct, but there are outstanding issues. Among other things, Ireland will have to consult the European Commission on what exactly the new order means. I was not avoiding Deputy Stagg's question on iodine tablets, I would have welcomed the opportunity to discuss them. However, the issue of iodine tablets is a matter for the Department of Health and Children. I am sure the...

Nuclear Policy. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: I did not see Deputy Stagg's question.

Nuclear Policy. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: The issue of iodine tablets was raised. Deputy Stagg will be pleased to learn that nuclear safety is not a matter for the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (13 Jun 2006)

Dick Roche: The national climate change strategy provides the basis for Government policy and action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the most efficient and equitable manner, and to ensure that Ireland meets its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. A variety of measures adopted by the Government on foot of the strategy are already contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These include...