Results 7,201-7,220 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Planning Issues. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: The proper planning and sustainable development of urban and village centres is underpinned by the legislative and regulatory frameworks set out in planning legislation and supported by the extensive suite of statutory planning guidance already in place. New draft guidelines in preparation will provide further support in these regards. Building on the 2007 guidelines for planning authorities...

Planning Issues. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: Only last week, we introduced the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 in the Seanad which will ensure the highest standards in planning and development. For the first time, a local authority's regional planning guidelines will have to have regard to and comply with the national spatial strategy. I have also introduced measures which ensure new residential developments will be...

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 156 together. On 12 May 2009 I announced the Government decided to introduce a directly elected mayor for the Dublin region in 2010. This decision arises from the commitment in the programme for Government to introduce a directly elected mayor of Dublin and from the considerations in the Green Paper on local government which I published in April 2008....

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: I hope I will have a good relationship with the person elected, even if it is a Fine Gael person. Fine Gael has supported this proposal. One of Deputy McHugh's colleagues raised it on the Adjournment and I set out the responsibilities involved in a little more detail then. If the Deputy wishes, I can repeat them: setting the framework for the future; the physical development of Dublin city...

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: Yes, that was the intention. We need to broaden our concept of local government. We are committed to a Dublin mayor. I did not know that the Labour Party pioneered the issue but that raises the question why it did not do anything about it.

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: I do not know how long ago that was or the circumstances. We need, however, to rethink the structures of local government. What we have now is an inherited British model but is it suitable to our modern State and does it have the dynamism and flexibility to deal with the issues? The answer is probably "No". We must reinvent it. It may be a difficult transition but we need to be quite...

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: Does it?

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: I never detect great enthusiasm for creating a-----

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: That is absolutely right. That is why I brought this forward.

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: I am not going to advertise the position.

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: There will be an election so there will be no advertisement in the newspaper. We will hold a democratic election. People can put their names forward in the normal way and it should be a very interesting election.

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: Next year, as I told the Deputy.

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: The Department did not pay for it. I paid for it. I do not recall questions about the Dublin mayoralty. It will enhance the city greatly and has been called for by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce. The role would evolve. If one talks to Ken Livingstone, for example, he will say that initially people were sceptical about the London mayoralty. He told me he, too, was sceptical and voted...

Proposed Legislation. (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: I did not recommend any system along the lines of what exists in Germany where party apparatchiks put people in place. The list or top-up system I had in mind would be based on those people who stood in elections and the percentage vote they received. That allows the election to be personalised. I am not going along with any media agenda but simply proceeding with what I think is best. ...

Written Answers — Contaminated Sites: Contaminated Sites (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: Significant progress has been made since the State, acting through my Department in a co-ordinating role, took over custody of the Irish Ispat site from the liquidator in June 2003, as mandated by Government. The mandate required my Department to co-ordinate all legal actions in relation to the site and to cover issues such as ongoing site security, maintenance and other such issues arising...

Written Answers — National Spatial Strategy: National Spatial Strategy (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: The 2002 National Spatial Strategy (NSS) sets out a 20-year Strategy aimed at achieving a better balance of social, economic and physical development across Ireland, supported by more effective planning. Regional Planning Guidelines made in mid-2004 as a key implementation mechanism for the NSS are now under review with the intention of adopting new Regional Planning Guidelines by the middle...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: This Question anticipates legislation that is currently before the House and as such it is premature to arrive at firm conclusions regarding its impact on my Department, agencies under the aegis of my Department, or local authorities. My Department has no land or other assets which are subject to borrowings. The valuation of assets in the accounts of agencies is a matter for the board of...

Written Answers — Water Pollution: Water Pollution (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: Primary responsibility for the prevention of pollution from septic tanks and other on-site waste water treatment systems rests with owners or occupiers of premises served by such systems. In its Water Quality 2004-2006 Report published in 2008, the EPA noted, inter alia, that greater attention needed to be given to groundwater protection, and in particular to prevention of pollution at...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: The information sought in respect of 2008 and 2009 is not available in my Department. The National Waste Report 2007, published by the EPA in January 2009, reported that brown bin collections were provided to households in thirteen local authority areas in 2007 through both public and private sector service provision. A total of 18,705 tonnes of food and garden waste was collected from...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (14 Oct 2009)

John Gormley: As previously advised, the proposed facility in question received planning approval from An Bord Pleanála in November 2007 and was granted a waste licence by the Environmental Protection Agency in December 2008. It is the subject of continuing correspondence with the Dublin City Council. In line with national policy the Exchequer does not fund new heavy waste infrastructure, landfills or...