Results 6,021-6,040 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: I can confirm that six capital projects have been prioritised by Pobal under the RAPID Additionality Measure for Mullingar to be funded from Dormant Accounts. The matter of progressing the projects in the new RAPID towns to contract stage will be kept under active review in the light of availability of funding in 2012.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Gweedore Sewerage Scheme, which includes two contracts, a waste water treatment plant and the network, is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2012 among the list of contracts in the county to start in the period. Donegal County Council submitted an updated Design Review Report to my Department in October 2011. My Department has sought additional...

Written Answers — Local Authority Finances: Local Authority Finances (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: Audited local authority financial data for 2010 are not yet available. The audit of the 2010 local authority Annual Financial Statements is scheduled for completion by end March 2012. The balance of loans payable for each rating authority at 31 December 2009, the latest year for which audited information is available, is set out in the following table. Local Authority € Carlow 42,600,097...

Written Answers — Urban Renewal Schemes: Urban Renewal Schemes (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: Sligo Borough Council has advised that 22 houses in the Cranmore estate were vacant as of 31 October 2011, of which 21 had been unoccupied for more than three months. A programme of refurbishment works is currently in progress and will be funded from the 2011 regeneration allocation. It is expected that 12 of these units will be available for re-letting as soon as the works are complete. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Reviews: Departmental Reviews (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130, 131 and 135 together. I refer to the reply to Priority Question No. 1 on today's Order Paper which sets out the position in regard to the consultation methodology and timeframe of the draft Retail Planning Guidelines. The Guidelines, when finalised, will be published under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended) and will,...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The EU Construction Products Directive (89/106/EC) defines the regulatory position in relation to the trade of construction products and materials in the internal market. Anyone who supplies or markets a product for which a harmonised product standard applies (i.e. the vast majority of construction products and materials) has a responsibility independently to certify that the product meets...

Written Answers — Architectural Qualifications: Architectural Qualifications (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The fee of €4,500 for technical assessment, approved in accordance with section 62 of the Building Control Act 2007, represents a significant reduction on the figure originally proposed. My Department understands that the Royal College of the Architects of Ireland have negotiated a loan facility with Bank of Ireland to provide support to those undergoing Technical Assessment. Section 17(3)...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009 provides the legislative basis for the €200 charge on non-principal private residences (NPPR), including the application of late payment fees. I have no plans at present to amend the quantum of the late payment fee for the charge. The charge is levied on a fixed liability date in each calendar year and payment becomes due two months after that date....

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: A list of websites under my Department's remit is set out below. Information regarding the annual cost of maintaining each website and the average number of hits per month on each site for the past year is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible. My Department keeps under review the necessity for maintaining separate websites and consolidates related websites...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-16: Medium Term Exchequer Framework, published by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on 10 November 2011, sets out the scale and sectoral allocation of Exchequer capital funding over the coming years. The capital investment allocated to my Department in the framework is as follows: 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Total € million 861...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP), administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department, aims to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government/agencies and people in disadvantaged communities. The Programme is underpinned by four high level goals: 1. To promote awareness, knowledge and uptake of a wide range of...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: Information on the number of local authority houses currently under construction is not available in my Department. At any one time, it would be impossible to know how many dwellings are currently under construction, in preparation for construction or completed during a particular local authority project. Notwithstanding this, from figures compiled earlier this year, I expect that through...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141, 142 and 148 together. My Department provides funding towards group water schemes by way of annual block grant allocations to local authorities under the Department's Rural Water Programme. Responsibility for the administration of this programme has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection and approval of individual group scheme...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The overall strategy of investment in water services is to ensure that the timing and scale of investment facilitates economic and other development, achieves compliance with statutory requirements and promotes environmental sustainability objectives. The main vehicle for achieving these objectives is the multi-annual Water Services Investment Programme. The Water Services Investment...

Written Answers — Water Services: Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The overall strategy of investment in water services is to ensure that the timing and scale of investment facilitates economic and other development, achieves compliance with statutory requirements and promotes environmental sustainability objectives. The main vehicle for achieving these objectives for public domestic water supplies is the multi-annual Water Services Investment Programme....

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: There is clear potential, across a range of housing programmes, for the Government's policy objective of sourcing and providing suitable residential units for use as social housing to be aligned with the commercial objectives of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). I have been engaging with my Department, very directly with NAMA to discuss options for bringing unsold suitable...

Written Answers — Local Authority Legal Costs: Local Authority Legal Costs (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The information requested is not available in my Department. The procurement of legal services is a matter for the local authorities concerned.

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the replies to Question Nos. 366 of 19 July 2011, 342 of 20 September 2011, 131 and 134 of 29 September 2011, 325 of 18 October 2011, 261 of 2 November 2011, 395 of 15 November 2011 and 355 of 22 November 2011. Senior officials in the Local Government Division of my Department met with the Sligo County Manager on 18 October 2011. It was agreed that Sligo County Council would...

Written Answers — Foreshore Licences: Foreshore Licences (30 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The valuation of sites connected with foreshore applications is undertaken either by the Valuation Office or by private sector valuers appointed by my Department with the approval of the Department Public Expenditure and Reform. There is currently no active tender process underway within my Department for the provision of additional external valuation services for foreshore applications.

Water Services (1 Dec 2011)

Phil Hogan: I thank Deputy Harris for giving me an opportunity to outline my position on this important subject, which clearly demonstrates the importance of water volumes and water quality for the community in general. I will continue to prioritise capital funding under my Department's water services investment programme, which is clearly underpinned by the need to address deficiencies in quality and...