Results 4,781-4,800 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Abolition of Dual Mandate: Abolition of Dual Mandate (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 364 together. The Local Government Act 2001 (Section 237A) Regulations 2003, provide, inter alia, for the supply of specified documentation to Oireachtas members by the local authority such as local authority budget, draft development plan etc. In addition, equivalent systems, procedures and timeframes to those used in relation to correspondence from...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: An Bord Pleanála have experienced sustained high volumes of case intake of the last few years, with cumulative increases of 24% between 2004 and 2005 over the 2003 intake. Based on the rate of intake at end October, it is anticipated that the Board will come close to taking in a record level of appeals in 2006, for the second year in succession. By end October the Board had received over...

Written Answers — Litter Pollution: Litter Pollution (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: Statistics on local authority enforcement action, including the number of litter fines issued, are submitted by local authorities to my Department every six months; these figures are also available in the Oireachtas Library. Based on information received from local authorities, the number of litter fines issued for the first six months of 2006 — the most recent information available — is...

Written Answers — Fire Service: Fire Service (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The primary role of the local authority fire service in the event of a fire is to rescue people, save property and extinguish the fire. Fire brigades routinely prepare internal operational reports on fire incidents attended and these reports may include opinions as to the possible causes of the fires. However, fire authorities do not carry out formal investigations into the causes of fires....

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The current local electoral areas and the number of members of each county council assigned to each such area derive from the Electoral Area Boundary Committee Reports of 1998. The 2004 local elections took place on the basis of the existing local electoral areas. The next local elections are due to take place in 2009. Consideration can be given to reviewing local electoral areas in light of...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: Article 9 of European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste provides that packaging may not be placed on the market within the European Union unless it satisfies the provisions of the Directive. Annex II of the Directive explicitly provides that packaging shall be designed, produced and placed on the market in such a way as to permit its reuse or recovery,...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 44 together. Establishing sustainable communities with a good quality of life is a key objective for my Department, and is being pursued through a range of policies and measures, which complement other Departments' and agencies' programmes. The Planning and Development Act 2000 which sets the legislative framework for the planning system requires that a...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department has not been notified by the EU Commission in connection with any complaints that may have been submitted to the Commission regarding the transposition of EU Directive 2002/96/EC on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) into Irish Law.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The Kiltormer Sewerage Scheme has been ranked as twenty second priority by Galway County Council in the list of sewerage schemes submitted by the Council in response to my Department's request to local authorities earlier this year to undertake fresh assessments of the needs for capital works in their areas and to prioritise their proposals on the basis of the assessments. The priorities...

Written Answers — Nuclear Safety: Nuclear Safety (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 160 of 4 October 2006. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — National Disability Strategy: National Disability Strategy (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: As required under the Disability Act 2005, my Department's sectoral plan was approved by the Houses of the Oireachtas on 18 October 2006. The plan, covering my Department, its partner bodies and local authorities, sets out national objectives and guidelines for access to public buildings, services, amenities, and information, as well as to heritage sites and other facilities. The plan...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 53, 85 and 89 together. I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 4 and 5 on today's Order Paper.

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: Since 1995 national waste statistics in respect of all waste streams have been published at three-yearly intervals by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the most recent National Waste Report being in respect of 2004. Between 2001 and 2004, two interim database reports were published to provide data on municipal waste specifically (i.e. household and commercial waste) for the...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The Building Regulations lay down performance-based standards, and do not either mandate or prohibit the use of specific construction products or systems. Various competing products or systems demonstrating compliance with the regulations may lawfully be used; and the choice is left to the designers, builders and the market. The broadly based Building Regulations Advisory Body (BRAB)...

Written Answers — Local Authority Services: Local Authority Services (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The next report on local authority service indicators, which will be in respect of 2006, is due to be published by the Local Government Management Services Board (LGMSB) in July 2007. The first two such reports were published in mid 2005 and 2006 respectively, and copies are available in the Oireachtas library. I have asked the Local Government Customer Services Group, which drew up the...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 101 together. Following the publication by the Central Statistics Office of the Preliminary Report on Census 2006, I sought the advice of the Attorney General on 21 July 2006 in relation to census results and constituency boundaries. The Attorney subsequently advised that constituencies can only be revised on the basis of the final Census figures. My...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The determination of waste management infrastructure requirements is a matter for local authorities in the context of the regional waste management plans for which they have statutory responsibility under the Waste Management Acts. My Department operates a capital grants scheme in support of certain recycling infrastructure and it is a matter for the local authorities concerned to seek such...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The Code of Conduct for Local Authority Employees was published in June 2004 under Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001. Arising from a review of the Code and following consultations with the Standards in Public Office Commission, the Minister for Finance and staff interests, I recently amended Section 10 of the Code. Under the amendment, local authority employees must inform the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: Under the Government's decentralisation programme all Dublin based operations of my Department are being decentralised, with the exception of Met Éireann, ENFO, the Private Rented Tenancies Board and a small co-ordination section which it is proposed to retain in Dublin to assist with the Department's Dáil and other business. The programme involves the relocation of my Department's...

Written Answers — Nuclear Safety: Nuclear Safety (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: In my reply to Questions Nos. 194 and 217 of 4 October 2006, I said I would shortly be meeting the UK Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Mr. Alistair Darling regarding the Irish Government's concerns about the outcome of the UK Energy Review. This meeting is due to take place on 9 January 2007. As I also stated in my reply to those two Questions, Ireland's concerns about any...