Results 4,241-4,260 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (15 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: A successful Producer Responsibility Initiative has been in operation since 1997 in relation to farm film/silage bale wrap. Producers - manufacturers and importers - pay a levy of €127 per tonne of farm plastic placed on the market to a compliance scheme, the Irish Farm Films Producers Group (IFFPG), who in turn have been required to meet targets for the recovery and recycling of farm...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (15 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Programme for Government commits to the development of a coherent national waste policy, adhering to the waste hierarchy, which will aim to minimise waste disposal in landfill and maximise recovery. I am prioritising this commitment, as I am anxious to provide early regulatory certainty, in the form of both policy and legislation, to ensure that the necessary actions and investments are...

Seanad: Proposed Legislation (15 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Cathaoirleach most sincerely for his kind welcome. While I attended the House previously in the presence of Senator Wilson, obviously the Cathaoirleach was not present. I thank Senators Tom Sheahan and Paul Coghlan for raising this important matter which Senator Sheahan has raised many times in the past three and a half years in the Dáil, while Senator Paul Coghlan has done so...

Seanad: General Practitioner Services (15 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, who is unable to be in the House to take this matter and he has asked me to do so on his behalf. The general practice at Ballinagh health centre has a substantial number of general medical service clients. Currently, there is only one GMS GP within the practice as one GP resigned recently on health grounds and another GP...

Order of Business (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: Who is the leader?

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: I move amendment No. 2: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: notes that: - the programme for Government provides for the introduction of a fair funding model to deliver clean and reliable water which will involve the installation of water meters in households and move to a charging system based on usage above a free allowance; - the Government is committed...

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: I was subjected to much provocation from the other side but I remained silent, so I am entitled to my turn. Sinn Féin should tell the people the truth about where it will get the money and how much extra tax workers will have pay in order to meet the Water Framework Directive, which we must do by 2015. Another straw man was raised, namely, that we will introduce a flat rate water charge. I...

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: I know Sinn Féin must campaign on some issues but this will not be one of them. I wish to nail some more political myths put forward in the contributions of the Sinn Féin Deputies. There will not be a flat rate water charge but a pay as one uses system through water metering. It will operate as an effective water conservation measure and will deal with a finite resource in the interests...

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: There will be no flat rate charge for water. I am sorry to disappoint Deputy MacLochlainn because I know that does not suit his political agenda. I am glad of the opportunity to put a lot of issues to bed and to nail any political myths. If Sinn Féin wished to put down a motion to campaign on an issue, it picked the wrong one in water services.

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy will see further developments on that in due course.

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy did not read the full script.

Local Government Audit (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: A range of work is already underway or in planning arising from the report and I am considering the relevant revenue raising and other recommendations that require enabling legislation. My Department has been working with local authorities to advance the efficiency group's agenda in areas such as shared services, procurement and in the use of online technology to improve efficiency and...

Local Government Audit (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: I know Deputy Niall Collins would be anxious that we would have greater efficiency in local government.

Local Government Audit (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: I am anxious to have a local government reform package to recommend to the House in the autumn. That will include some of the major recommendations in the various efficiency reports and in the McCarthy report to reduce payroll costs. I remind the Deputy that the number of local government staff has been reduced by 6,600 in the past two years. That is a very significant contribution to the...

Local Government Audit (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: I do not agree with Professor Tol's calculations or with the proposition or assumptions he made in his comments at that conference. I have no plans to roll out any new tolling schemes.

Water Charges (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy knows the answer.

Political Party Funding (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: The programme for Government contains a commitment that: "Public funding for political parties will be tied to the level of participation by women as candidates those parties achieve." On 8 June 2011, I published the general scheme of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011. The general scheme includes provision for a requirement that to qualify for full State funding under...

Political Party Funding (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: I have great sympathy with the question and the tone of Deputy Donnelly's remarks. I consider this to be a staging post towards achieving his objective. However, there is a conservative culture in the manner in which these matters can be addressed not only by men, but also by women. There is a balance to be struck between increasing the participation rate of women in politics, and people...

Political Party Funding (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy will appreciate that this is the first time a Minister has brought forward this proposal. This is the first Government to bring forward a meaningful proposal to increase the participation rate of women and to give them the opportunity to be candidates in a general election. The funding is linked to general elections. If it was linked to local elections, I would be able to apply...

Political Party Funding (16 Jun 2011)

Phil Hogan: On 8 June 2011, I published the general scheme of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011. In line with the Government's commitment to significantly reform political funding in Ireland, this Bill will implement commitments in the programme for Government and recommendations made in the Moriarty Tribunal Report Into Payments to Politicians and Related Matters . The Bill...