Results 9,981-10,000 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authorities Banking Issues (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Deposits held by county and city councils comprise cash balances and short term bank investments. Information on the rates of interest at which deposits are held is not available to my Department. The amount held on deposit by each county and city council at 31 December 2010, the latest year for which audited information is available, is set out below. Local authority Total Carlow...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Banking (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Details of the operation of the financial management function in bodies under the aegis of my Department are a matter for the individual agencies concerned . Information is collected by my Department from relevant bodies for the purpose of inputting to data on General Government Debt prepared by the Department of Finance. The following table sets out details of deposits held by such...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Priory Hall Development (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Dublin City Council is the designated authority with powers to enforce the statutory requirements arising under the Fire Safety Act, the Building Control Acts and the Planning and Development Acts, all of which are at issue in relation to Priory Hall. The Council is also the designated Housing Authority under the Housing Acts. I am aware of the significant efforts that have been made by the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: The purpose of the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012 is to provide for the number of Members of Dáil Éireann, to revise the constituencies in the light of the result of Census 2011 and to provide for the number of Members to be elected for such constituencies. The Bill provides for a total number of 158 Members of the Dáil, delivering on the Government...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Deputies for their contributions. The commission has always named the constituencies as well. That has been part of its remit even though it is not in its terms of reference, which have never been changed. I am sure Deputy Ó Cuív would not like Ministers to be interfering in various matters of this nature. I would certainly be criticised for doing that. I have a...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Yes. The word "Kildare" does not feature in the name of that constituency. I suppose we could give many examples, in addition to those covered in these amendments, of constituency names recommended by the commission that could be changed in this way. If I were to do it in one case in response to an amendment, I would have to do it in many other cases. Therefore, the easiest way to-----

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I could introduce my own amendments in order to be fair. For the reason I have given, I cannot accept these amendments.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Why did the Cabinet not do it at that time?

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I see.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: That Cabinet was always right.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy will have to deal with fewer local authorities next year.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: They wanted to join the upper echelons of society.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: As I indicated earlier, I have sympathy for the issue of titles of constituencies where it comes as a surprise at the end of the process. I acknowledge that Dublin South-East was a particular surprise. I am sure the Taoiseach thought it a surprise that one seat was taken out of Mayo as well, which shows how independent the commission was. It is the first time in the history of the State...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I doubt it. I noted recently an article in one of our national newspapers about the very low turnout in many constituencies in Dublin. Community identification has been a problem for a long time in Dublin.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Generally, across Dublin, there is a significant reduction in turnout, which has nothing to with the names of constituencies and has to do with other factors. Deputy Stanley's comments concern a separate issue of local government, of which I am very mindful, as I am mindful of the county boundaries.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: They put a bit of Galway in there before, did they not?

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am sure the Deputy knows he would have to flag his amendments today if there were to be further amendments on Report Stage other than the ones tabled.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (6 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: It was discussed on this occasion in the same way as it was discussed in Deputy Ó Cúiv's time in Cabinet. The outcome is what I am declaring today. I do not propose to depart from the recommendation of the Constituency Commission for any constituency in any way.

Order of Business (7 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: He is not entitled to mislead people.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (7 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Government has decided that Irish Water, a new State-owned water company to be established as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group, will be responsible for the domestic water metering programme and for the collection of water charges from households. Bord Gáis Éireann/Irish Water will procure a number (up to 8) of regional management...