Results 5,481-5,500 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley
- Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) (No. 2) Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: There has been a 19% increase.
- Water Quality. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: Overall, water quality in Ireland is of good standard relative to other European countries. The recent EPA water quality report for 2004-06 found a slight improvement overall in water quality, particularly in surface waters with an increase, for example, from 69.2% to 71.4% in the length of our rivers that are unpolluted compared to the 2001-03 period. However, deterioration of ground water...
- Water Quality. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: I can assure the Deputy that this is a priority, which is why I secured record funding of up to â¬560 million for water infrastructure, an increase of 19%. The Deputy is right to be concerned about the EPA findings with regard to groundwater. The main threat to groundwater is contamination from micro organisms originating in sewerage, animal manures and other organic wastes. There has...
- Water Quality. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: Not only have I been in touch with the managers of local authorities, but the EPA, which has been given extra supervisory powers and extra resources and staff, has also been in contact with the various local authorities. The EPA is putting the authorities under a certain amount of pressure, which is only right, to step up to the plate and ensure people are getting the best quality drinking...
- Waste Disposal. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: There were some 1.2 million tonnes of waste recycled in 2006, of which approximately 75% was exported. Approximately 36% of municipal waste is now recycled as compared to the national target of 35% recycling by 2013. The Government's policy statement, Preventing and Recycling Waste â Delivering Change, identified a lack of sustainable and economically attractive markets and outlets for...
- Waste Disposal. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: Given the economies of scale, it makes sense to co-operate with our colleagues in Northern Ireland and to have a glass recycling facility on any part of the island. The Deputy is correct that we also need to develop a facility for paper and cardboard and a proposal has been made. However, we must reach an agreement with our colleagues in Northern Ireland because this was to be done on an...
- Waste Disposal. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: I agree with the Deputy. I liaise closely with those in the recycling industry. I will be holding another meeting shortly. I have received the report from the action group. The composting industry can employ many people and I regard it as a win-win situation. The statutory instrument on composting, which I will publish shortly, will ensure that the food waste from our restaurants and...
- Electoral Reform. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: The rules and procedures concerning elections are a key component of our democratic system of government and the electoral law is an important part of the responsibilities of my Department. As a measure of the legislative activity this involves, the House may wish to note that five Electoral Bills have been brought before this House by my Department and enacted in the past four years. The...
- Electoral Reform. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for that clarification. The Deputy said he had a number of questions but essentially he only had one and that was whether I was going to introduce legislation to allow civil servants to participate in the political process. The answer to that question is a firm "No". The Deputy has made a big play and he has completely misconstrued it, probably...
- Electoral Reform. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: It is not until such time as the Deputy chooses to put it into the public arena and wilfully misinterpret something. I do not believe that civil servants â who, by the way, do such an outstanding job â should be engaged in political activity in any shape or form. It is as simple as that.
- Electoral Reform. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: Is the Deputy asking if I am on a slippery slope?
- Electoral Reform. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: The Deputy's party has church gate collections etc., but I do not intend to go into its fund-raising activities over the years. Does the Deputy ask the person who is contributingââ
- Electoral Reform. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: ââif they are a civil servant? The Deputy is raising matters that are ridiculous. You were right a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I did not hear a question either.
- Recycling Policy. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: Representatives from the waste industry met with officials in my Department on 24 October 2008 to discuss industry concerns regarding the sudden drop in international demand for recycled materials. Their principal issue of concern was the need rapidly to increase the storage capacity of existing permitted and licensed facilities. Immediately following this meeting, my Department contacted...
- Recycling Policy. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: I thought I had given much clarity on this issue earlier when I responded to Deputy Joanna Tuffy. I outlined exactly the percentages relating to the export of recyclates. Paper and cardboard is exported. There is a difficulty with the price received for these particular products because it has decreased due to the collapse of the market in China and elsewhere. We have examined the...
- Recycling Policy. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: There was no cost for the report because it was compiled by my Department. The Department along with the main players in the industry went through the various options and then came up with recommendations. I hope to publish the report shortly. The environment spokespersons from the Opposition parties will be invited.
- Environmental Policy. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: The traditional incandescent light bulb is extremely wasteful of both energy and money. Modern compact fluorescent lamps, CFLs, use 20% of the energy and last up to ten times longer. This means the consumer saves significantly, over the long run, on both energy bills and replacement costs, while the reduced electricity usage translates into lower greenhouse gas emissions. Ireland is one of...
- Environmental Policy. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: We have examined all those issues. This is why we are giving a certain amount of flexibility so that people can avail of the halogen bulbs, which do not have the same effect. The Deputy talked about re-introducing mercury but it has been with us for quite some time. The fluorescent tube that we are familiar with for over 50 years contains mercury. Deputy Bannon referred to ultra violet...
- Environmental Policy. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: Rather than calming the situation, Deputy Bannon is trying to hype it up.
- Environmental Policy. (27 Nov 2008)
John Gormley: The claims he is making are spurious. This morning he tried to make out that Fine Gael was an environmental party of some description. Given Deputy Bannon's performance, he would bring us back to the Dark Ages when it comes to environmental progress. He has no ideas at all, only a litany of negativity. Deputy Bannon should come forward with valuable solutions and should stop knocking all...