Results 10,621-10,640 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programme. (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department recently completed a full and comprehensive review of commitments under the axes 3 and 4, Leader elements, of the Rural Development Programme 2007-13. Project approvals were suspended during this time. However, on 24 April, as a result of this review, I was able to release the remaining €90 million funding for the Leader elements of the Rural Development Programme. As...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programme. (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Deputy Ó Cuív is correct that it took longer than anticipated. I am sorry it took so long but we are there now and we have got a comprehensive report from the division in the Department to ensure we have a clear picture of what can be spent under the various axes and the remaining funds in the programme. We have to get approval from the managing authority, in this case the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programme. (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am glad to inform Deputy Ó Cuív that the festival money was approved last week and all the various festivals that would have applied for funding would have received their notification in the past ten days.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programme. (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: If it was not on the list before the allotted time, perhaps it was not approved. If the Deputy supplies me with the details I will certainly try to assist.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programme. (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I have put resources into the section in order to speed up the approval process for projects. I am conscious that there is a time limit on these projects. There is often a misunderstanding about the number of large projects in the system. There are only 39 nationally in the system. I can assure the Deputy that I will do everything possible to release money as quickly as possible for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programme. (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Some 39 of them will be paid now.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Leader Programme. (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Yes, once everything is in order, from the next couple of weeks.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Government’s ambition for growth and job creation in the green economy, as well as a range of associated actions, are set out in the policy statement on Delivering our Green Potential which was published by my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in November 2012. Publication of the statement followed on from a commitment under the Action Plan for Jobs 2012...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: In terms of the overall taxation policy, the Government will want to ensure it can limit taxation increases on labour. If there are environmental taxes that can be deployed for the purpose of ensuring we do not increase tax on labour and work, that is a noble aspiration and a reality to date during this Government's term of office, however, it is not true to say that no money goes into...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I do not agree with the Deputy in any way in regard to his last assertion. More has been done in the past year and a half in developing our green economy potential than happened under my predecessors. We have now set out a road map as to how jobs can be created in the green economy and how we can reduce the costs of business in terms of energy efficiency. There was a €4 million...

Other Questions: Dormant Accounts Fund Management (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Dormant Accounts Act 2001, together with the Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Act 2003, the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2005 and the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2012, provide a framework for the administration of unclaimed accounts in credit institutions, namely, banks, building societies, An Post and insurance companies, and in unclaimed life assurance policies in insurance...

Other Questions: Dormant Accounts Fund Management (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: As a former Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív understands better than anybody the difficulties relating to this matter and the complex nature of how the fund is operated. I believe some €82 million is currently in the account. The dormancy period is 15 years, dating each year from 30 September. An account is designated dormant when on 30 September there have been no transactions by...

Other Questions: Dormant Accounts Fund Management (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: There is a designated fund for urban disadvantage and the local community development funds provide some sort of assistance. The local and community development programme, LCDP, still operates in urban as well as rural communities - does the Deputy know that? I realise the moneys are not as great as they were and I agree the dormant accounts fund was certainly a good fund for educational,...

Other Questions: Dormant Accounts Fund Management (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I have sympathy with what Deputy Ó Cuív indicated and since I became Minister I have tried to implement what Deputies Ó Cuív and Humphreys have suggested. However, the people in the Department may be the same as those who were there in Deputy Ó Cuív's time. We have not yet got political buy-in on this matter that would allow me to make the changes they advocate.

Other Questions: Property Taxation Exemptions (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: What happened in Wexford if it is not getting a break? What went wrong?

Other Questions: Property Taxation Exemptions (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I do not know what is happening in Wexford if it is not getting a break. I hope it will do better in the championship.

Other Questions: Rural Development Programme Projects (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta, MFG, the group contracted by my Department to deliver axes 3 and 4, which are the Leader elements of the rural development programme in the Gaeltacht areas, went into liquidation on 7 September 2011. Since then my Department has been working with the liquidators and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the winding up process was conducted in an efficient...

Other Questions: Rural Development Programme Projects (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: As Deputy Ó Cuív correctly noted, Comhar na nOileán Teo delivered the programme for the Galway Gaeltacht. A bond is required under the regulations for the payment of advances under the Leader programme. However, it is only required by the Department for administration advances. The bond that was in place until February 2013 also covered project payments. In February 2013,...

Other Questions: Rural Development Programme Projects (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I wish we did not have a problem with MFG as this is causing the delays. The liquidation process was far from satisfactory. The Department had to threaten to go to the High Court to extract files from MFG when it was in liquidation, which was highly regrettable.

Other Questions: Rural Development Programme Projects (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The problem of delays can be traced to those who were charged with responsibility and contracted, on behalf of the Department, to do the work for the Gaeltacht areas. I am sure Deputy Ó Cuív knows a significant number of the individuals in question. I assure him that I have done everything possible, notwithstanding the protracted nature of the process, to get the legal certainty...