Results 461-480 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 170 together. Freshwater pearl mussels of the genus margaritifera are protected under the Wildlife Acts 1976 and 2000. Designation of special areas of conservation, SACs, for margaritifera is also required by the EU habitats directive. Ireland has proposed 21 sites as candidate SACs for two sub-species of margaritifera, one being margaritifera...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 and 172 together. The determination of waste management charges is statutorily a matter for the relevant local authority in cases where it acts as the service provider. Where, as commonly occurs, a private operator acts as service provider then that operator will determine the charges. Similarly, in regard to waiver schemes for waste charges, it is the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: A total of 495 applications had been received at the central applications facility, CAF, priority cut off date on 7 September 2004, in respect of the 661 posts to be decentralised from my Department's Dublin offices and which are fillable through the CAF. A total of 31 staff from my Department's Dublin offices, as detailed in the following table, have applied for decentralisation to the...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: An Bord Pleanála, which has an independent statutory mandate, is responsible under the Roads Act 1993 for the approval of motorway schemes following an assessment of the environmental impact of the proposal. In the case of the M3 motorway, the process involved a detailed environmental impact assessment in which archaeological considerations and other factors were extensively addressed and a...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: My Department has not been approached either by An Taisce or Kerry County Council about the compilation of a list of serial objectors nor does planning legislation envisage or accord any status to such a list. Kerry County Council has recently sent me a copy of a council resolution seeking an increase to €250 in the fee for making a planning objection for anyone from outside the local...

Written Answers — Litter Pollution: Litter Pollution (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: It is a matter for each local authority to determine the level of expenditure on individual local services, including its cleansing and anti-litter operations, as part of its annual estimates process. It is important, however, that local authorities provide an adequate level of funding for their street cleansing and litter warden services. In this regard, three national anti-litter...

Written Answers — Environmental Pollution: Environmental Pollution (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: I recently received a copy of the PharmaChemical Ireland report, responsible care Ireland annual report, 2004, and I welcome and encourage the efforts of the industrial sector concerned towards improving environmental performance. I am currently considering the detail of the report.

Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: I have not received a request from the business sector to meet a deputation specifically about charges for water services. The Government's water services pricing policy framework requires local authorities to recover the cost of providing water services from the users of these services, other than households using water services for domestic purposes. In line with Government policy and EU...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: My Department has only recently received a copy of the Environmental Protection Agency's discussion paper Anaerobic Digestion: Benefits for Waste Management, Agriculture, Energy and the Environment and is at present examining the paper.

Written Answers — Nuclear Plants: Nuclear Plants (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: My Department does not propose at present to draw up a risk analysis of nuclear power plants world-wide. There are various international bodies which work to ensure that nuclear power plants throughout the world comply with strict safety standards. These bodies include the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, the Nuclear Energy Agency, NEA, and the European Union, EU. The operation of a...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: When the capital grants scheme was launched it was intended that it be made available to both public and private sector applicants. The latter, however, was conditional on obtaining the necessary state aid approval from the European Commission. As it transpired, the state aid approval given was of a limited nature. In the interim, however, the industry's scale increased very significantly...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste is premised on the principle of producer responsibility which requires waste producers to contribute to the waste management costs of products which they have placed on the market at end of life. Under the directive, Ireland was required to achieve a 25% recovery rate of packaging waste by 1 July 2001,...

Written Answers — Archaeological Sites: Archaeological Sites (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: I have not attended such meetings regarding the Aughrim battle site. The development of motorway schemes is a matter for the NRA and the local authority concerned and I understand an application for approval of the M6 scheme is currently before An Bord Pleanála.

Written Answers — Regional Authorities: Regional Authorities (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: My Department is in regular contact, at both designated local authority manager and director levels, with regional authorities in relation to their role in the co-ordination of public services at regional level. The preparation of regional planning guidelines under the national spatial strategy has also involved close and ongoing contact by my Department with all of the regional authorities....

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: The EU handbook on environmental public procurement was published in October 2004 by the European Commission and has the aim of explaining to public purchasers how to integrate environmental considerations into their purchasing practices for goods and services. The Department of Finance has responsibility for public procurement policy. The website www.etenders.gov.ie, maintained by the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: On 26 November 2004, I published planning guidelines for regional and planning authorities on implementation of Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment — commonly known as the "SEA directive". A copy of the guidelines has been placed in the Oireachtas Library. The guidelines were finalised following a public consultation...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: The cross-Border waste awareness campaign referred to was launched on 14 September 2004 and was completed in December 2004. The cost of the campaign was €3.2 million of which 75% was provided from EU structural funds under priority 2, measure 2 of the INTERREG IIIA programme administered through the special European Union programmes body. The project was designed to support the...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 272, 273 and 274 together. Since coming into office I have had a number of meetings with representatives of local government organisations — the General Council of County Councils, GCCC, Local Authority Members Association, LAMA, Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland, AMAI, and the City and County Managers' Association, CCMA. Details of those...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: In March 2004 guidelines for planning authorities on sustainable rural housing were published in draft form for public consultation to give all those interested an opportunity to comment before the guidelines are finalised. I expect to be in a position to issue the guidelines in final statutory form shortly. On the publication of the draft guidelines planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (9 Feb 2005)

Dick Roche: A sewerage scheme to serve the Curragh, Brownstown, Cutbush and Suncroft areas of County Kildare has been approved for construction in my Department's water services investment programme 2004 to 2006 at an estimated cost of €8.2 million. The scheme is being funded jointly by my Department and by the Department of Defence. My Department conveyed approval to Kildare County Council's tender...