Results 1,041-1,060 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (17 May 2005)

Dick Roche: A central element of Government policy on waste management is the development of producer responsibility initiatives, PRIs, for particular waste streams. The producer responsibility approach has been employed with considerable success in other waste streams, notably packaging waste, where the industry based Repak model has been operating successfully in Ireland under the EU Packaging and...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (17 May 2005)

Dick Roche: The EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE, which came into effect on 13 February 2003, involves challenging requirements for all relevant stakeholder groups, including retailers. Draft regulations which will transpose the directive into Irish law were published on 15 April last for public consultation. These were prepared by my Department working closely with the...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (17 May 2005)

Dick Roche: Implementation of the EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE, which came into effect on 13 February 2003, requires close co-operation between all stakeholders — producers, retailers and central and local Government. For this purpose, a task force representative of all relevant sectors, including retailers, was established in February 2003 to draw up proposals for...

Proposed Legislation. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: I thank Deputy O'Dowd for tabling the question. I know he shares with me an anxiety that the Bill be quickly introduced in the House and placed on the Statute Book. There is wide consensus that the regulatory system for major infrastructure projects should help to ensure projects are delivered in the right place at the earliest possible time in a cost effective manner. The system must also be...

Proposed Legislation. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: I wish to disabuse the Deputy of the notion that this is because of internal difficulties, specifically——

Proposed Legislation. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: Will Deputy O'Dowd allow me to finish? He will be pleasantly surprised when he sees the Bill's provisions on that issue. As to the issue of allowing only projects requiring an environmental impact statement to go before special hearings of An Bord Pleanála, while I am conscious of what must be done in this regard, the Deputy will have to wait until the detail comes through to see it. I agree...

Proposed Legislation. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy should allow me to finish. He has suggested the establishment of a special division of the High Court on a number of occasions. As I am less interested in form than results, I want the courts system and every other aspect of the process to deliver results. I regret I cannot provide further detail on the issue but the Deputy will see what has been done when the Bill is published.

Proposed Legislation. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: I agree it will be necessary to ensure major infrastructure projects are given better access to and through the courts.

Proposed Legislation. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy will get action from me in this regard. More than any other Deputy in the House, I am aware of the extraordinary delays which can occur in the courts.

Service Charges. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: Household waste collection has developed over many years as a locally based service tailored to local needs and circumstances and is, I suspect, the most quintessential local service. The legal framework established by the Oireachtas is evidence that these services are provided locally. Existing approaches to the grant of waivers for household waste services reflect this variety of local...

Service Charges. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: I compliment the Deputy on his ingenious reference to the legislation but disagree with the hypothesis he makes, although that is not to say it is not a valid hypothesis in his mind.

Service Charges. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: Rolling back the environmental legislation is not a good way to move forward. From the Waste Management Act 1996 to the Protection of the Environment Act 2003, local authorities can set charges for waste collection services that they provide. This allows for implementation of the polluter pays principle to which we all subscribe and not just in the case of domestic waste.

Service Charges. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: That is an issue for debate. Those local authorities that provide waste collection services can provide waivers. A number of other local authorities have looked to see how they can involve some form of arrangement that mitigates the problems and they have been successful in three cases. I agree that we provide many benefit in kind services and supports, particularly for pensioners, but I do...

Service Charges. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: I am not happy with the level of inflation in local government charges. There is a responsibility on local authorities to ensure all charges they pass on are kept at the lowest possible level. At a time when local authorities receive more support from central Government than ever, I am not happy with those levels. On the impact of the standards we are trying to apply nationally, we are paying...

Nuclear Waste. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: The policy of all governments of all political persuasions here, since the late 1970s, has been opposed to the British nuclear industry and all its aspects, the manner in which it operates and, in particular, slipshod operations. A review of the long-term options for radioactive waste management in the UK is currently being undertaken by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, an...

Nuclear Waste. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy need have no concern about this. There is no change in my or the Government's view. We are opposed to it. We are engaged in this process because it is the process that was established by the UK. We are making a strong case there. A primary consideration in addressing waste issues, of any origin or type, is waste reduction. This is particularly relevant given all that has been said...

Nuclear Waste. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: Deputy O'Dowd can be certain that I will clarify the position. If the Deputy wishes to send me the clipping, because I am not familiar with it, I will ensure he gets a written response to it.

Nuclear Waste. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: My press statement is a different matter.

Nuclear Waste. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: No, it is not and that point was adverted to in Deputy Stagg's question. Deputy Stagg is correct that there has been a significant problem in THORP. We issued two press statements. The initial one made clear what information we had received and put it on the record for all Members and for the public. However, following investigation and analysis of the problem, there was a second set of data...

Nuclear Waste. (18 May 2005)

Dick Roche: I have learned how to take British newspapers.