Results 10,361-10,380 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Gweedore Sewerage Scheme is included in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 - 2013 as a scheme to commence construction during the lifetime of the Programme. My Department is awaiting the submission by Donegal County Council of their Contract Documents for the scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides that income from the Household Charge is to be paid in to the Local Government Fund. I have generally disbursed Household Charge revenues to local authorities, quarterly and in advance, within General-Purpose Grant payments. As of 8 March 2013, the Household Charge has raised in excess of €118.8 m for the provision of essential...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: Dublin City Council’s proposal for the Ringsend Waste Water Treatment Plant Upgrade is included in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme, 2010 – 2013 as a scheme to start during the lifetime of the Programme. I understand that Dublin City Council’s application for approval of an EIS and planning consent for the proposed expansion of the Ringsend...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Security of the Elderly (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Seniors Alert Scheme provides grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of equipment to enable older persons, without sufficient means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The Scheme provides for monitored personal alarms for persons over 65 years of age living on their own or with other qualifying persons. In the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: In late 2011 the European Commission approved a change in the maximum co-funding rate from 55% to 85% for the Axes 3 and 4 elements (LEADER) of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013. Prior to this the Axes 3 and 4 RDP measures were co-funded at a rate of 55% by the EU, with the remaining 45% coming from national exchequer sources. The 2011 agreement reduced the national...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta (MFG) was the Local Development Company contracted by my Department to deliver Axes 3 & 4 (LEADER) of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) in Gaeltacht Areas for the current 2007-2013 programming period. MFG went into liquidation on the 7 September 2011. The delivery of RDP funding to most of the Gaeltacht areas previously served by MFG is now being...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: The moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service was introduced in March 2009 in response to the financial crisis. My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the moratorium in relation to local authorities, and any exceptions to the moratorium in local authorities require sanction from my Department....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme Implementation (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: In December, 2012 the Government approved the imposition of a levy on the quarrying and insurance sectors as a mechanism to fund a pyrite remediation scheme. Primary legislation is required to underpin the imposition of the levy and my Department is currently advancing the drafting of the General Scheme of a Bill to provide for this. It is my intention that the Bill will be published and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electronic Voting Machines (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 436 together. A total sum of €69,403.25 was received by the State, in 2012, in respect of the completion of the contract for the recovery as waste of the electronic voting equipment. Expenditure on the electronic voting project, including equipment purchase, storage and other costs, totalled €54.986 million. There are no ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Remediation Grants (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 440 of 26 February 2013 which sets out the position in relation to the grant scheme for septic tanks. The priorities in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme include the provision of works required to comply with Water Framework Directive requirements, to improve sewage treatment and collection infrastructure in accordance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: EU Directives (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department is up to date on the transposition of all relevant EU Directives, apart from transposition of the complex and multi-faceted Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU, which was partially transposed into Irish law by the transposition deadline of 7 January 2013. Three Chapters of the Directive remain to be transposed, but work is nearing finalisation, in consultation with the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 442 and 443 together. Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes group water schemes, group sewerage schemes and small public water and sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection and approval of individual scheme proposals for advancement and funding under the programme,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Air Pollution (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: With regard to detection of air pollution, ambient air quality monitoring and assessment in Ireland is carried out in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, also known as the CAFE Directive.  The CAFE Directive which consolidated and replaced the earlier Air Quality Framework Directive and the first three so-called...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: I remind the Cathaoirleach and Senator Wilson, my good friend, that the reduction by 20 is not in the programme for Government.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: It is not in the programme for Government. We are part of a Government. Just as Fianna Fáil made many commitments before the last general election-----

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: Fianna Fáil might have made many commitments that it did not get an opportunity to include in its programme for Government. We have entered into coalition with the Labour Party and the reduction by 20 is not in our programme for Government. The commitment to have a referendum on the Seanad is in it.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: Senator Wilson knows, better than anybody, that when I make a solemn commitment to the people, I do my very best to honour it. I have done it in this House on many occasions with regard to political reform and local government reform. If there was no policy change regarding the number of people per Member in each Dáil constituency, the number of Deputies after the next general election...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: The difficulty we have is that we either accept the outcome of the independent Constituency Commission report of 2012 or we do not. We set out the terms of reference for the commission. It independently examined all the issues involved, particularly the distribution of electorate per Member. The number of the electorate per Member will be 29,040 at the next Dáil election, assuming this...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: We have brought about the unification of Waterford.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Harte constituency.