Results 6,301-6,320 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (19 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: The rate of grant available for Group Sewerage Schemes under my Department's Rural Water Programme is €2,031.58 per house or 75% of the cost of the scheme, whichever is the lesser. Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection and approval of individual group scheme proposals for funding and advancement...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (19 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: There are 35 Local Action Groups contracted, on my Department's behalf, to deliver Axes 3 & 4 of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) throughout the country and these groups are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development strategy of the individual groups and in line with Departmental...

Written Answers — Water Services: Water Services (19 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: The European Communities (Drinking Water) (No. 2) Regulations, 2007 designate water services authorities (the 34 county and city councils) as the authorities which are primarily responsible for public water distribution systems including the maintenance of pipes under their control and ownership. The Regulations stipulate that all appropriate measures must be taken to reduce the...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: My Department has two civil servants working in the offices of the Irish Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels, an Environment Counsellor (Principal Officer level post) and an Environment Attaché (Assistant Principal Officer level post). The staff are seconded to the Department of Foreign Affairs for the duration of their assignment. Their functions include: · ...

Local Authority Charges (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. To give him some background on it, the reason we are introducing this household charge is the requirement in the EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland, which commits us to a property tax in 2012. It was not possible to do the more progressive fairer system on this occasion and therefore we had to bring in a modest charge initially in...

Local Authority Charges (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: I will take on board the Deputy's suggestion. We will advertise proactively regarding the payment of the household charge in a few weeks time. A leaflet will be put through every door to remind people of their obligation to pay the charge as well as setting out where and how they can pay it.

Building Regulations (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: I can understand the deep frustration of the residents, which the Deputies have articulated, but we should not lose sight of the fact that Mr. McFeely is responsible for this as well as the professional people, as Deputy Wallace said, who signed off on this development. That is no comfort to the residents this evening as we speak in this House in terms of the difficulties they have...

Building Regulations (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: I thank Deputy Clare Daly for her usual legal advice to me, to step in while court proceedings are going ahead. I cannot do this. I say to Deputy Mick Wallace that trust has broken down between the State and the residents with regard to consumer protection. Professionals, developers and builders did not do the jobs they were trusted to do. I now have to intervene with new legislation to...

Building Regulations (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy is unique in that regard. What I announced last year will bring back into vogue the sentiments he expressed about how we needed to certify all these properties because professionals whom we had trusted to do the job on a devolved basis on behalf of the State had failed to do so. The residents of Priory Hall are the victims in this case. There are probably other cases which we do...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each County and City Manager is responsible for the day to day staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. My Department has a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the general moratorium...

Written Answers — Rialacháin Foirgníochta: Rialacháin Foirgníochta (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: Níl an t-eolas faoi na h-uimhreacha árasáin críochnaithe i ngach limistéar údaráis áitiúil ó 2000 ar fáil i mo Roinn. Cláraíonn agus foilsíonn mo Roinn staidrimh ar chríochnú tithe gach bhliain a mhionsonraítear de réir údaráis áitiúil agus de réir cineáil tithíochta, lena n-áirítear árasáin. I gcás forbairtí árasáin, áfach, is é an uimhir aonad tithíochta...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: Recognising that people with disabilities have particular needs, my Department endeavours to ensure that the voting process is as accessible and inclusive as possible. Currently there are two options available to assist voters with a visual impairment to vote at their local polling station; they may avail of companion voting or they may seek the assistance of the presiding officer. Other...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Building Regulations 1997 to 2011 provide for the safety and well-being of persons in and around buildings (including dwellings). The legal requirements are set out in twelve parts (classified as A to M) in the Second Schedule to the Regulations. Technical Guidance Documents are published to accompany each part in order to outline how the legal requirements can be achieved in practice....

Written Answers — Household Charge: Household Charge (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 425, 452 and 453 together. The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides for a number of exemptions and waivers from payment of the household charge. The exemptions from payment of the household charge are - · Residential properties that are part of the trading stock of a business and have not been sold or been the source of any income since...

Written Answers — Household Charge: Household Charge (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: Under the Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 owners of residential property are liable to pay the household charge. There are a number of exemptions and waivers from payment of the household charge. In particular, section 4 of the Act provides for an exemption where an owner of a residential property, which was that person's main or sole residence, is not residing in that property...

Written Answers — Household Charge: Household Charge (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: A fee is not payable for attending at the offices of a county/city council for the purposes of payment of a household charge. The Local Government Management Agency, which has been assigned responsibility for the operation of the household charge system on a shared service basis on behalf of county and city councils, has informed and has subsequently reminded councils that fees are not...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: Following the Government meeting of 11 January 2012, I announced plans for the disposal of the State's electronic voting and counting equipment. A Request for Tenders for the sale and/or the provision of recovery services for the equipment was published on 19 January 2012. Following the announcement of the cessation of the electronic voting and counting project in 2009 tentative enquiries...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: I have set up an independent Panel to examine the issue of pyrite in private housing and I have asked the Panel to report to me early this year. I have no function in relation to house insurance and the particular matter raised in the question would appear to be more appropriate to the remit of the Financial Services Ombudsman.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 437 together. The Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2012, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in County Cork. The Programme includes contracts under construction and to commence to the value of some €230 million in the county...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (24 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: Since 1990, my Department has, in funding the provision of secondary waste water treatment plants under the Water Services Investment Programme, also provided funding for anaerobic digestion facilities for sewage sludge treatment at such plants. There are some 15 anaerobic digestion plants in Ireland treating sewage sludge at municipal wastewater treatment plants. Anaerobic digestion is one...