Results 7,181-7,200 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley
- Election Management System. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: I told the Deputy previously that I would deal with this issue.
- Election Management System. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: I have done so and I repeat that it will be dealt with.
- Carbon Budget. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: As announced in the 2008 carbon budget and confirmed more recently as part of the supplementary budget in April 2009, there is an unequivocal commitment that a carbon levy will be introduced in 2010. This commitment is reflected in the renewed programme for Government. The recent recommendations of the Commission on Taxation of course must be considered in formulating the carbon levy. The...
- Carbon Budget. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: It certainly is.
- Carbon Budget. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: While this issue falls into the domain of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, that certainly is the intention. I hope the Deputy agrees this shift in ratio is essential and must be made as we were out of kilter with regard to sustainability for far too long. In other words, we were investing far too much in roads and not enough in our public transport system. Thankfully, the new...
- Carbon Budget. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: On the latter question, we are making progress. Many might state that progress is being made in respect of transport simply because there are fewer cars on the road. However, substantial progress is being made in Dublin city, for example, in respect of other modes of transport. I am pleased to note that cycling has increased substantially and visibly throughout the city. Although the bike...
- Carbon Budget. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: Were the Deputy to examine the report of the Commission on Taxation, he would find therein an outline of what a possible carbon levy might look like. That is the closest thing to an estimate I can provide to him at this point.
- Local Authority Funding. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: As Minister, my role is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority. The adoption of individual development contribution schemes is a reserved function of the locally elected members of each planning authority. It is a matter for the members to determine the level of contribution and the...
- Local Authority Funding. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: I have some extra information. Authorities are systematically pursuing outstanding development contributions. The action taken includes construction site visits by senior planning staff in order to determine an accurate picture of the moneys due. Failure to pay amounts due to the authority has resulted in enforcement proceedings being initiated under planning legislation and this will...
- Local Authority Funding. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: I take Deputy Tuffy's point that much of this is associated with the housing bubble. We conducted a survey and the breakdown of development contribution money as applied across various programme headings of my Department. The survey, conducted in 2008, show that 41% of development contributions are for water and sewerage, 45% on roads and 14% on amenities. We continue with that...
- Other Questions (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: Heritage officers play an important role in ensuring support for heritage activities and organisations at local level. Since 1999, the Heritage Council, under the aegis of my Department, has developed a partnership programme with local authorities to facilitate the employment of heritage officers. To date, my Department has provided funding of â¬5.15 million, including this year's...
- Other Questions (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: Heritage officers can make a major contribution in promoting tourism activities in the local authority area. On every occasion that I launched a book when members of the Heritage Council were present I stated that it is my strongly held view that we should have heritage officers in each local authority area. That is not the case. However, where they are in place it has made a tremendous...
- Other Questions (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: It is already the case that if they wish local authorities can appoint heritage officers with the assistance of the Heritage Council. The Deputy is aware that because of budgetary constraints grants to the Heritage Council, which is based in his native city and which does a very fine job, have had to be cut somewhat although not as much as could otherwise have been the case. The points...
- Other Questions (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: No, we have not; the McCarthy report is still a list of recommendations. I made these points previously but Deputy Tuffy was not in the Chamber at the time. I made precisely the same point that Deputy Tuffy made, that people in planning departments have little enough to do compared to during the boom. The problem is with regard to public service unions and demarcation and that is a real...
- Water Quality. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: I am glad to see Deputy Jim O'Keeffe here because I know this part of the country well.
- Water Quality. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: I am aware that there have been recurrent problems with green algae on a number of beaches in County Cork. Various factors can contribute to the formation of green algae, which is due to excessive nutrients entering water, including from run-off from land due to intensive agricultural practices, septic tanks or discharges of untreated wastewater. The draft south-western river basin...
- Water Quality. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: I know the area as I used to holiday in Timoleague and I know this problem has existed for years. When I was on holidays there more than ten years ago I could see the algae on the beach. If one went down to Dunworley one could see the green algae there and it was very clear. This is coming from run-off nutrients from farming practices and septic tanks. We must deal first with the point...
- Water Quality. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: Yes, I will. While the Deputy is concerned about this, there are members of the Cabinet who go on holidays to the spots in question.
- Water Quality. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: They also want this matter cleared up. I have been aware of this problem for some time.
- Water Quality. (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: There is no getting away from the fact that it must be dealt with at point source. We have some work to do in this country not to be in denial about the problems associated with agricultural run-off and septic tanks. There are too many parties which do not want to know about these problems because they are difficult issues with which to deal. Building water treatment plants is fine but we...