Results 761-780 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Building Regulations. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: As successive Ministers have since 1996, I intend again upgrading regulations in 2008. These regulations were first introduced here in 1992 and all my predecessors have had some involvement in improving the regulations.

Building Regulations. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: I intend operating within the provisions of the directive. I will consider the matter and make my decisions as appropriate during the course of the year.

Building Regulations. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: I thank the Deputy for that comment. If we make a deferment in January, Ireland will not be the only member state doing so.

Radon Gas Emissions. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: I am aware the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has made a submission to the Law Reform Commission advocating the inclusion of radon measurement in future legislation on house conveyancing. I am also aware of the institute's recently published findings to which the question refers. The RPII has also written to all the major banks, building societies and insurance companies on this...

Radon Gas Emissions. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: As the Deputy is aware, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland and my Department have been active in promoting awareness of this issue. The Deputy is correct that the take-up of access to a cheap form of assessment has been disappointingly poor, as the RPII has noted. We will continue to press the issue of awareness of radon and encourage householders with radon concentrations to...

Radon Gas Emissions. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: That is an interesting suggestion. Like so many complex issues, it touches several Departments. I do not agree with the Deputy on the latter point, although it was well made. It is more appropriately dealt with by the Department that, for example, sets building regulations and deals with that issue. One should remember that because of the good work done by previous Ministers, from 1998, all...

Local Authority Housing. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy is showing his age.

Housing Output. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: There is only one bag of wind in this House and he has just finished speaking.

Environmental Policy. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: I will answer Questions Nos. 64 and 104 together with the agreement of the House. The National Climate Change Strategy was designed as a comprehensive framework to reduce Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions in the most efficient and equitable manner. Progress is being made towards achieving the target. Latest EPA data show emissions in 2003 at approximately 25% above 1990 levels, down from 29%...

Environmental Policy. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: I always compliment the Deputy.

Environmental Policy. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: As I said, a review of the strategy is ongoing and will be completed this year and published. Deputy Cuffe may have missed that point. The recent emissions statistics look good. They are not great but they are good. They are an improvement and they show an annual fall since 2001. I accept we must maintain that trend. Quite a number of factors have contributed to the reductions, including...

Environmental Policy. (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: Emissions per unit of GDP, which are now at 54% compare very favourably to the EU as a whole. We are weak in per capita emissions and are among the highest in the EU. If I was writing a progress report, I would say we are doing well but must continue to do better.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 78 together. I am familiar with the recent report by the Law Society's reform committee entitled Discriminatory Planning Conditions: The Case for Reform. Section 39 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as was the case with previous planning legislation, provides that a condition may be attached to a grant of planning permission for a house,...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: Development by or on behalf of a local authority which requires environmental impact assessment must be submitted to An Bord Pleanála for approval. With regard to development by or on behalf of a local authority which does not require environmental impact assessment, the manager of the planning authority must consult the public and prescribed authorities. The manager must submit to the...

Written Answers — Litter Pollution: Litter Pollution (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 108 together. On foot of the success of the environmental levy on plastic bags, which was introduced in March 2002 and has resulted in a reduction in the dispensing of plastic shopping bags at retail outlets by over 90%, An Agreed Programme for Government contained a commitment to consider the extension of the levy on plastic bags to other materials...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 88 together. The making of waivers in respect of waste charges connected with services provided by, or on behalf of, local authorities is a matter for the local authority concerned. My Department has no function in the matter. The issue of waste charges in the context of low income persons-households has been raised in a social partnership context...

Written Answers — Infrastructure Projects: Infrastructure Projects (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 121 and 285 together. I believe there is wide consensus that we should have a regulatory system for major infrastructure projects that delivers projects in the right place at the earliest possible time and in a cost effective way. In addition, the system must be capable of mitigating the impact of any major project on the environment and on people, and...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: My Department does not compile this information.

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: The compilation and publication of the register is a matter for each registration authority in accordance with electoral law and involves the carrying out of house-to-house or other local inquiries, including in many cases delivering registration forms to households for completion. The draft register is published on 1 November each year and is made available for examination at post offices,...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (13 Apr 2005)

Dick Roche: The recently amended retail planning guidelines, which have effect from 1 February 2005, provide that the floorspace cap on retail warehouses will no longer apply within the functional areas of the four Dublin local authorities and in the other national spatial strategy gateways. The gateway towns and cities are Athlone-Tullamore-Mullingar, Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Galway, Letterkenny,...