Results 4,281-4,300 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: I am pleased to report back to the House on a number of amendments made by the Dáil to the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006. The Bill was debated at great length in both Houses, with the debate starting in this House. Planning legislation seems to stimulate vigorous debate. Almost 70 Deputies contributed to the Second Stage debate in the Dáil, which was held...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: I fully appreciate that the Senators want to make a brief contribution in the broadest sense. I agree with Senator Tuffy. The Taoiseach regularly points out to me that this is a good approach for precisely the reasons the Senator outlined. This plan was holistic, it involved the community and the local authority. It dealt with infrastructure and the social supports that were required to be...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: During my remarks on Second Stage I stated my belief that the expertise of the board should be fully employed in the planning process as early as possible. I have introduced a number of specific amendments to this end. Amendments Nos. 2 and 51 extend the powers of the board to give advice on what considerations in respect of environmental effects of a proposed development will be taken into...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: Many of the Senators' comments do not directly arise from the Bill. We are striving for the interpretation of planning law, to which Senators Bannon and Kitt referred. I am conscious of the changes in the interpretation of the guidelines for one-off rural housing. Like Senator Bannon, I am rightly anxious that planning law is reflected in the same way everywhere. There is clarity of language...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: When the Seanad discussed the Bill, it provided that a relevant planning authority would be informed of the board's decision only where it decided that a proposed development does not constitute strategic infrastructure and would, therefore, be subject to the normal planning process. Amendment No. 3 ensures that the board shall serve a copy of its decision concerning whether the development...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: The regional plans will be factored into the board's consideration. On regional authorities and so on, the best approach is to ensure that where applications hit universally, as it were, the local authorities should get the information, as they feed into the regional bodies. On advertising and notices, we had a lengthy discussion on site notices and I will differentiate the colours. We...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: No. We will have the same colour across the country. If the colours were red and green, they would only refer to Mayo or Rathnew.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: These amendments give the board the power to seek the opinions of any person or body with relevant views on information in respect of the consultation on a proposed development, particularly the scoping of an environmental impact statement. It is important that the board has the power to look for expertise in areas beyond what is immediately available to it, for example, that of a Department,...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: The EPA is mentioned in section 37F(5) which states: Before making a decision under section 37G in respect of proposed development comprising or for the purposes of an activity for which an integrated pollution control licence or a waste licence is required, the Board may request the Environmental Protection Agency to make observations. This set of amendments empowers the strategic...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: As is typical with complex legislation, it is necessary to make minor clarifications of a drafting nature and that is what these amendments do. I was seduced by Senator Bannon's mellifluous tones during the Bill's passage through this House and kindly accepted one textual amendment which, as it turned out, would have had a disastrous effect that neither of us foresaw, and which we had to...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: I would never suggest that a specialist in the arcane and dark art of parliamentary drafting necessarily knows better than parliamentarians themselves, but we must accept their advice when it is offered. The amendment the Senator tabled was firmly offered so I stand chastised, though I am still firmly on his side.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: These are interesting amendments because they expand public participation and take into account the transboundary elements of the EIA directive. The amendments require applicants for strategic infrastructure to include in the newspaper notice, where relevant, that a proposed development is likely to have a significant impact on the environment of another EU member state signatory to the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: We had lengthy discussions in this House and in the Dáil about the need for the full range of views of councillors to be referred to the board for information. This is important to me because I want to capture the views of councils. The Bill incorporates a major innovation in providing for councillors to send their recommendations to the board. As I said in the Seanad, to general agreement,...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: I welcome the fact Senators endorse what I have done in the Bill. On the other issues, which, strictly speaking, are not dealt with by the Bill, I agree with the Senators. In particular, I agree with the last point on legal advice, which is a thorny issue on which I have engaged in debate. Local authority members have more powers than they sometimes realise in this regard. Unfortunately,...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: We discussed this issue at length in the House and on Committee Stage in the Dáil. I introduced a number of amendments to amend the list of issues to ensure consistency throughout the Bill, and consistency between the Bill and the 2000 Act. Section 143 of the Act, which is being amended by this Bill, contains a broad list of issues to be considered when making decisions. These include...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (6 Jul 2006)

Dick Roche: I want to pay tribute to the Members of the Seanad who put a very big effort into this Bill. I mention Senator Bannon, in particular, in that regard. I also wish to put on record my admiration for the manner in which Fine Gael has been very positive in this and has sought, throughout, to improve the Bill. One can never get a situation where everybody approves of everything, but we have made...

Written Answers — Water Safety: Water Safety (27 Sep 2006)

Dick Roche: Ring buoys are provided at rivers, canals and lakes by a number of agencies including local authorities. The financing of their provision is a matter appropriate to each individual agency or authority concerned. At the request of the relevant agencies, Irish Water Safety undertakes risk assessments at waterways, both inland and coastal, and advises on appropriate safety measures which would...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (27 Sep 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1457 and 1476 together. The Kiltimagh Sewerage Scheme is approved for construction in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007. Mayo County Council's Contract Documents for the scheme are under examination in my Department and are being dealt with as quickly as possible. Approval of the Contract Documents will allow the Council to invite...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (27 Sep 2006)

Dick Roche: Gowran Sewerage Scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 as a scheme under the Serviced Land Initiative. Further consideration will be given to the Contract Documents submitted by Kilkenny County Council for this scheme on receipt of the additional information requested by my Department.

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (27 Sep 2006)

Dick Roche: The National Climate Change Strategy set out a policy framework to enable Ireland meet its International obligations to address climate change, and comprises a comprehensive programme towards achieving the necessary greenhouse gas emissions reductions across all sectors of our economy including transport and energy, which are primarily responsible for the burning of fossil fuels. I recently...