Results 4,561-4,580 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (17 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: Under Section 126 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, An Bord Pleanála has a statutory objective to determine appeals within 18 weeks. Where the Board does not consider it possible or appropriate to reach a decision within 18 weeks (e.g. because of delays arising from the holding of an oral hearing), it will inform the parties of the reasons for this, and will indicate when it intends...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: A number of awareness campaigns and initiatives, aimed at increasing public knowledge and understanding of important issues relating to my Department's functions, were carried out in 2007. Details of these campaigns are set out in the following table. Each of the awareness campaigns and initiatives contain provisions to ensure that they are being delivered in a cost efficient and effective...

Lisbon Treaty: Statements. (18 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: I join other party leaders in expressing disappointment at the result of the Lisbon treaty referendum. However, as an Irish person, I am very proud that this was the only country in the European Union to hold a referendum on this issue and it is regrettable that other countries did not do so. It points to the disconnect about which some of the previous speakers spoke between the European...

Lisbon Treaty: Statements. (18 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: The beauty of the Charter of Fundamental Rights is that it can be read as a stand alone document. There has been criticism, perhaps valid, that much of the Lisbon treaty could not be read as a stand alone document. The reason for this is the proposed constitution, much of which could be read as a stand alone document, was thrown out. The Lisbon treaty harked back to previous treaties,...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (18 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 218 together. The 2007 Annual Planning Statistics are currently being compiled and it is expected that they will be available on my Department's website www.environ.ie by the end of the September 2008.

Written Answers — Regulatory Impact Analysis: Regulatory Impact Analysis (18 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: Since 2006, my Department has included in its Annual Report, details of the Department's legislative activity during that year including Statutory Instruments, Bills and EU Directives, together with information on the application of Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIA) in each case. Copies of the 2006 and 2007 Annual Reports are available in the Oireachtas library. Following the Government...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (18 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 220 together. On 16 June 2008, I received the Reports of the two Boundary Committees I established last January to review local electoral areas. The Reports were published on 17 June 2008. I am accepting the recommendations contained in both Reports and will be making the necessary orders to give effect to them in due course. Copies of the Reports are...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (18 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: Information on affordable housing activity up to the end of 2007 is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. Information is also published in my Department's Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. My Department is collating data on output for the first quarter of 2008, which will be published in the near future. The timing of...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (18 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: I am satisfied that the bundling of sewerage schemes, combined with Design/Build/Operate procurement, has demonstrated positive results in terms of capital cost, operation and maintenance expenditure and long-term protection of the physical assets. This approach to procurement is only adopted where detailed assessment by the local authority concerned establishes it to be the best overall...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (18 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: The Government's housing policy statement, Building Homes, Sustaining Communities, signalled the intention to introduce an incremental purchase scheme. The objective of the proposed scheme is to make it possible for households with incomes lower than those required for affordable housing to gain access to home ownership, through making new local authority housing available for purchase by...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (18 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: My Department recently published a Report on the Status of Habitats and Species in Ireland. This is the first comprehensive report on the status of those habitats, animals and plants in Ireland which have protected status under the Habitats Directive and relevant national law, and it includes details in regard to the freshwater pearl mussel. The Irish population of the freshwater pearl...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (19 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: My Department compensates farmers for losses occurring where their farming activities are restricted as a result of designation of a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area or Natural Heritage Area. In terms of the cessation of peat extraction from designated bogs, the arrangements for compensation agreed with the farming representative organisations in 2004 continue in place.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (19 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 185 to 190, inclusive, together. The Clonmel Town and Rural Water Supply Scheme and the Ardfinnan and Galtee Regional Water Supply Schemes have all been approved for funding under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007 — 2009. South Tipperary County Council's Preliminary Reports for the three schemes, received last month, are being examined...

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (19 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: There are no plans to allow commercial turf cutting on designated bogs.

Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (19 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: Statutory responsibility for the protection and improvement of bathing water quality is assigned primarily to local authorities acting under the general supervision of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The 2007 EPA Report on Bathing Water Quality indicated that Youghal strand failed to meet the required standard because of the presence of faecal coliforms in excess of the limit laid...

Written Answers — Public Sector Remuneration: Public Sector Remuneration (19 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: The Representational Payment (RP) for councillors was introduced with effect from 1 January 2002 and was the first ever such recognition of councillors' service and commitment to their communities. Under the Local Government (Representational Payment for Members) Regulations, 2001 (S.I. No. 552 of 2001), the RP for county and city councillors is specifically related to the basic amount of a...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (19 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: The boundaries of the Special Areas of Conservation were transmitted to the European Commission in 2004 and are not now open to review by my Department. Prior to this, extensive discussions were held with representative farming organisations. My Department operates a bog purchase scheme where turf-cutters are required to cease cutting in such designated areas.

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (19 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: Some 14% of Ireland's land area is designated either as a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area or Natural Heritage Area. I am not aware of the source or context of the 1% area referred to in the question.

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (19 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: There are no proposals to increase the rates paid under the present scheme.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (19 Jun 2008)

John Gormley: A sewerage scheme to serve Binghamstown was forty-sixth on the list of water and sewerage schemes submitted by Mayo County Council in response to my Department's request to all local authorities in 2006 to undertake assessments of needs for capital works in their areas and to prioritise their proposals on the basis of these assessments. These assessments were taken into account in preparing...