Results 4,141-4,160 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: As indicated in the reply to Question No. 35 of 27 February 2008, I have powers as Minister under section 29 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to issue policy directives to planning authorities regarding any of their functions under the Act, and planning authorities are required to comply with any such directives in the performance of their functions. No such policy directives have...

Written Answers — Town Boundaries: Town Boundaries (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: Midleton Town Council applied for a boundary alteration in 2006. The extent of the change to the boundary sought by the Town Council was opposed by Cork County Council. I wrote to Midleton Town Council in December 2007 stating that I considered it inappropriate to proceed with the application for a number of reasons, including the lack of agreement between town and county, the passage of...

Written Answers — Litter Pollution: Litter Pollution (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: Under the Litter Acts, the primary management and enforcement response to littering is a matter for local authorities. The role of my Department is to provide the legislative framework to combat litter pollution, and to motivate and energise anti-litter responses as necessary. It is the responsibility of each local authority to undertake the most appropriate enforcement and clean-up actions...

Written Answers — National Biodiversity Plan: National Biodiversity Plan (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 121 together. In November 2005, my Department published a review, setting out the implementation status of the 91 actions in the National Biodiversity Plan, and copies of the review are available in the Oireachtas Library. This indicated that 83 of the actions had either been fully implemented or that implementation was ongoing. Out of the 91 actions...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: I fully support the case for introducing sustainability criteria into the proposal to amend the Fuel Quality Directive 98/70/EC. The cultivation of biofuels can have wide ranging environmental, economic and social impacts, including on biodiversity, on the price of food crops and on communities competing for land with commercial biofuel interests, while actual net emission reductions from...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to establish an independent Electoral Commission which will take responsibility for electoral administration and oversight, implement modern and efficient electoral practices, revise constituency boundaries, take charge of compiling a new national rolling electoral register, take over the functions of the Standards in Public Office Commission...

Written Answers — Local Authority Services: Local Authority Services (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: Quality customer service has been a key pillar of the local government modernisation programme over the past decade. Significant progress has been made by local authorities in service delivery under the programme and this has been confirmed by the Performance Verification Group for the local government sector under the National Partnership arrangements. Substantial support and resources have...

Written Answers — Public Works Projects: Public Works Projects (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: The facility referred to in the question is under construction and building work is expected to be completed by mid-year. This will be followed by the installation of an exhibition, the design for which is currently underway, which is scheduled for completion later this year. The centre will be open for the full 2009 season commencing in Spring 2009.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: As Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, my role in relation to the planning system is mainly to provide, and keep up to date, the legislative and policy guidance framework. The day-to-day operation of the planning system is a matter for the planning authorities. The legislative framework comprises the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2006 which represents a...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 396 together. The enforcement of planning control is a matter for individual planning authorities, who have substantial enforcement powers under the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2006. Under planning legislation, the planning authority can take action if a development does not have the required permission, or where the terms of permission have...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: There is a strong commitment to the principles of staff development and training in my Department. A wide range of staff training courses were supported in 1997 but no specific leadership training programmes were funded in that year.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: The information requested is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: I have no such plans. The objective of the National Pension Reserve Fund is to meet as much as possible of the costs of social welfare and public service pensions from 2025 onwards.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: Section 106 the Planning and Development Act, 2000 provides that members of the Board are appointed in a whole-time capacity and may not hold any other office or employment during their term of office. In addition, section 147 of the Act provides that Board members are required to make disclosures and declarations of certain interests at least once a year, and section 148 debars a member from...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: Under Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001, local authority employees are— (a) required to maintain proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest; (b) required to submit an annual declaration of interests and to disclose a beneficial interest in any matter arising in the course of their duties; and (c) prohibited from seeking to influence any matter in which...

Written Answers — Nuclear Safety: Nuclear Safety (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: The Mixed Oxide (MOX) Plant at Sellafield utilises plutonium, separated during reprocessing of spent fuel for foreign customers at Sellafield, and returns it, predominantly by sea, to those customers in the form of MOX fuel for use in their nuclear reactors. Such shipments of radioactive material are subject to international maritime regulations, including the right of innocent passage, and...

Written Answers — Asbestos Remediation Programme: Asbestos Remediation Programme (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: There are no specific grants available from my Department or local authorities for the removal of asbestos in housing. However, my Department operates a number of targeted options to assist especially vulnerable groups such as lower income households and elderly persons to secure necessary improvement works to their houses. These include the local authority house improvement loan scheme, a...

Written Answers — National Parks: National Parks (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: Grantstown Lake and Wood is designated as a Nature Reserve under the Wildlife Act 1976 and is owned and managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department. Access to the site is by means of a right-of-way over privately-owned lands but a dispute has arisen concerning the use of this right-of-way by members of the public. My Department is examining ways of resolving this...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are areas designated for protection under the EU Habitats and Birds Directive on the basis of scientific evidence which shows their importance in protecting specific habitats, birds and species. Ireland is required to designate an appropriate number of these habitats and has now transmitted its finalised list of SAC...

Written Answers — National Biodiversity Plan: National Biodiversity Plan (22 Apr 2008)

John Gormley: In November 2005, my Department published a review of the implementation of the National Biodiversity Plan. This indicated that 83 of the 91 actions in the plan were either fully implemented or that implementation was ongoing. Copies of this interim review are available in the Oireachtas Library. My Department is currently coordinating the development of a new National Biodiversity Plan,...