Results 10,661-10,680 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme Issues (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: HomeBond is one of the construction stakeholders who have agreed to set up a not-for-profit entity to operate a remediation scheme under the supervision of the Pyrite Resolution Board (PRB) . Under the proposed process, i t is intended that t he entity will be the borrower of the loan facility , which a number of financial institutions have indicated their willingness to provide , to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Issues (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 51 together. Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 each City and County Manager is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements to carry out the functions within his or her local authority. While the specific information requested in the questions is not available in my Department, I understand that, overall, the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Divisions Establishment (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I established a Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee on 15 November 2012 to review and make recommendations on the division of each council area, other than Cork City, into local electoral areas, and to make recommendations on the number of members of each council to be assigned to each local electoral area. The Committee was requested to submit its report as soon as possible and, in any...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: In line with the commitment in the Programme for the development of national climate policy and legislation, I have released the outline Heads of a Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Bill, together with the second and final policy analysis report from the NESC Secretariat, for consideration by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Travel (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Minister of State in my Department, Jan O'Sullivan, represented the Government in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 16 to 19 March as part of the Government ’ s Promote Ireland programme . The main purpose of Minister of State O’Sullivan ’s visit was to attend and address the Annual Jeddah Economic Forum, the theme of which this year was ‘Housing the Growing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The table below details the level of project funding committed to date by each Local Development Company (LDC) contracted to deliver Axis 3 & 4 (the LEADER elements) of the Rural Development Programme (RDP). The table also contains the level of project expenditure and the administration costs to date for each LDC. Local Development Company Project Commitments Project...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The specific question of introducing an office of directly elected mayor for the Dublin Metropolitan Area is considered in the Government’s Action Programme for Effective Local Government in the context of other governance issues. A key conclusion in that regard is that such an office should not be simply inserted as a further layer of governance and administration in addition to the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Dormant Accounts Fund Deposits (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Dormant Accounts Acts provide for an annual transfer by credit institutions and insurance undertakings of monies in accounts determined to be dormant into the Dormant Accounts Fund (DAF). Since its establishment in April 2003 to the end of March 2013, the transfers to the DAF have totalled some €678.5m, including €38.7m in interest. Funds reclaimed since April 2003 total...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: On the basis of the terms of reference of the Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee, the total cost of allowances for additional councillors in the Dublin local authorities is currently estimated to be circa €1.5 million per annum. This additional cost will arise from reducing the degree of representational imbalance currently in the Dublin authorities and should also be viewed in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Travel (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I attended the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Boston, Massachusetts and Rhode Island from March 13 to 18 as part of the Government’s Promote Ireland programme . I carried out over twenty separate engagements over the five days, meeting with many of the key contacts in the political , business and local community. The emphasis was on helping to promote trade, tourism and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Inspections (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 40, 42 and 157 together. The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 assigns responsibility to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make a National Inspection Plan for domestic wastewater treatment systems. The National Inspection Plan 2013: Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems was adopted and published by the EPA in February 2013. The Plan...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Security of the Elderly (1 May 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 is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department. The funding allocated to the Seniors Alert...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Recreation Promotion (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: In regard to rural recreation development, my Department continues to engage with 12 Local Development Companies with whom we have Service Level Agreements in place. These agreements relate to appropriate schemes and actions to implement relevant objectives of the National Countryside Recreation Strategy and the continued implementation of the Walks Scheme. The Walks Scheme was originally...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 63 together. I am attaching a high priority to putting in place the necessary structures to deliver a resolution to the pyrite issue for homeowners who have been waiting a considerable period of time for solutions . Following Government approval of the general scheme of a Pyrite Remediation Bill, work will be undertaken, as a matter of urgency, on...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: IBRC Liquidation (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: It is a matter for each local authority to manage its own day-to-day finances in a prudent and sustainable manner, including investment arrangements for moneys received.  Information on individual local authorities’ investment arrangements is not available in my Department. I am advised that development bonds that were previously entered into by IBRC in favour of individual...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The overall allocation for group water and group sewerage schemes and for small public water and sewerage schemes under the Rural Water Programme in 2013 is €35 million. The majority of this funding is provided, by way of block grant allocations, to the local authorities who are responsible for administering the programme. While the administration of the programme is devolved to local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Dormant Accounts Fund Administration (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 6 on today’s order paper. This year, I have allocated €2.835m from the Dormant Accounts Fund from my Department to support labour activation measures in local authorities. The Disbursement Plan of 2009, put in place by the Dormant Accounts Board, will be replaced later this year by a new disbursement scheme in accordance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Remuneration (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Information regarding potential cost savings which could arise in the circumstances outlined in the question is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 402 of 30 April 2013 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (1 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Wide-ranging and detailed legislation is required to provide for the range of measures set out in the Action Programme for Effective Local Government. Work on drafting the Local Government Bill 2013 is proceeding satisfactorily and I am firmly committed to ensuring that the Bill will be published in good time to enable enactment well ahead of the 2014 local elections.