Results 7,581-7,600 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: Section 179 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the associated Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 set out the legal requirements in relation to local authority own development which does not require environmental impact assessment. Where a local authority proposes to engage in development specified in Part 8 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, which...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: My Department understands that the closure of this green waste facility is under consideration by South Dublin County Council but that the civic amenity facility at Ballymount continues to accept green waste and will remain in operation. The decision is an operational matter for South Dublin County Council. Since 2002 my Department has provided grant assistance of over €100 million to...

Written Answers — Library Projects: Library Projects (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: Limerick County Council invited me to open this new facility, including the branch library which has been grant aided by my Department in the amount of €1,000,000. Unfortunately, due to other pressing engagements on the day, I was unable to accept this invitation and conveyed my regret and best wishes to the local authority for a successful event.

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: A detailed response to the correspondence in question was issued earlier today.

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 292 and 297 together. It is my intention to provide for a legal definition of 'landscape' in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 which is currently at Report Stage in Seanad Éireann. This will be based on the definition set out in the European Landscape Convention, as ratified by Ireland in March 2002. I will also be bringing proposals in...

Written Answers — Flood Relief: Flood Relief (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 294 and 301 together. My Department will shortly ask the local authorities for reports on the consequences of the flooding and an assessment of the remedial works required. I will circulate these reports to other Government Departments and Agencies for consideration and appropriate action. I have today announced the provision of supplementary funding...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: The charge, on all non-principal private residences, which is set at €200, is payable by owners of private rented accommodation, holiday homes and any other residential property that is not the owner's sole or main residence. If a person resident in another country owns a residential property here that is not his or her sole or main residence, he or she would be liable for the charge in...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: The Government has decided to broaden the revenue base of local authorities by introducing a charge on all non-principal private residences. The charge, which is set at €200, is payable by owners of private rented accommodation, holiday homes and any other residential property that is not the owner's sole or main residence. Section 3(2) of the Local Government (Charges) Act 2009 provides...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: Expenditure in 2008 on heating in the Department's main offices in Dublin, including Met Éireann, and in Ballina amounted to €102,808. While the Department operates from over forty locations nationwide, it is not possible to give a total figure in respect of all locations, as a number of offices have electric heating, which is not identified separately from other elements of the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 299 and 300 together. Under the Government's water pricing policy, local authorities are required to recover the costs of providing water services from non domestic users of these services including community owned properties and buildings in use for not-for-profit community purposes. In January 2008, the Government introduced transitional arrangements for...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: I refer to the reply to Question No. 131 of 14 October 2009 which deals comprehensively with the issues raised. The position is unchanged. With regard to activity levels under the Building Energy Rating (BER) system, the latest figures received from Sustainable Energy Ireland indicate that some 2,900 persons are currently registered as BER assessors for dwellings and over 85,000 BER...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: I refer to the reply by my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, to Question No. 43 of 13 October 2009. The contract for the Change campaign was terminated on 31 October 2009. Since then, while the brand has been maintained, the content of the Change.ie site has been transferred to the climate change section of www.enfo.ie with the calculators for...

Written Answers — Aquaculture Sector: Aquaculture Sector (1 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: The European Court of Justice delivered its ruling in Case C1-148/05 on 14 June 2007 and Ireland was found to be in breach of the Directive on the quality required of shellfish waters by failing to: · designate all shellfish waters requiring designation; and · take all necessary measures to establish pollution reduction programmes (PRPs) for waters requiring designation. The European...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (2 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to bring the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 before the House. Planning is an issue that affects all of us in many aspects of our daily lives. As I have said on many occasions, planning is about people. For this reason, I have adopted a very hands-on approach when it comes to improving the planning system. Since...

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (2 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: It means value for money.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (2 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: The Deputy should check it out.

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (2 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: I apologise to the Deputy but I must go to a meeting. I will read her contribution in the Official Report.

Hunting Licences. (2 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The renewed programme for Government includes a commitment to ban the practice of stag hunting. I should explain that under existing wildlife legislation I can, as Minister, issue a licence for the hunting of deer by a pack of hounds. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, there is now only one hunt club in the State which continues to hunt deer using...

Waste Disposal. (2 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: I was on a television programme some nights ago being harangued by members of Fine Gael who were telling me I should do more about floods. In the audience was a Fine Gael councillor who had rezoned land in a flood plain. I now feel like I did on that night because, as Deputy Creighton will know, it was her party that introduced the legislation to provide for incineration and her party,...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (2 Dec 2009)

John Gormley: The rate of grant available for Group Sewerage Schemes is €2,031.58 per house or 75% of the cost of the scheme, whichever is the lesser. My Department has funded a pilot programme to test a range of new, small-scale waste-water collection and treatment systems under Irish conditions. The objective of this pilot programme was to evaluate new approaches to meeting the waste water collection...