Results 10,841-10,860 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Legal Costs (23 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Legal costs incurred by my Department arise primarily as a result of the process and outcome of litigation; there are, therefore, significant factors outside the control of my Department in relation to such costs. Within this context, every effort is made by my Department to keep costs to a minimum through, inter alia , proper management of legal cases, use of dedicated expertise in other...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The First Report of the Convention on the Constitution, which was submitted to the Oireachtas on 26 March 2013, contained a recommendation that the voting age should be lowered to 16. The Government is considering this recommendation and will provide a response in the Oireachtas within 4 months – by 26 July 2013 – in accordance with the resolution of the Oireachtas establishing...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am presuming that the question refers to the rate of motor taxation applicable to motor caravans. In order to obtain this concessionary rate (€102 annually), a vehicle must be designed, constructed or adapted as a motor caravan within the meaning of section 130 of the Finance Act 1992. I have no plans to amend the qualifying criteria for taxation, which is designed to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Application (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Contracts for public projects, or private projects in which there are professionals involved, are generally based on standard form contracts which typically require, among other things, the provision of Employer's Liability insurance, Public Liability and Contractors All Risk insurance. In the context of the recently signed Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013 I have signalled that...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Yield (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Total gross motor tax receipts for each year from 2003 through to the end of 2012 are set out in the following table. YEAR TOTAL GROSS MOTOR TAX RECEIPTS €m 2003 681 2004 747 2005 802 2006 879 2007 956 2008 1,058 2009 1,057 2010 1,023 2011 1,010 2012 1,054 Categories of motor taxation are as follows: - Private vehicles registered before 1 July 2008...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Remediation Scheme (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: On 17 December 2012 I announced my intention to introduce a grant scheme to provide financial assistance to households whose septic tanks and other domestic wastewater treatment systems are deemed to require remediation following an inspection under the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012. The grant scheme will only apply to treatment systems which are the subject of an Advisory Notice issued...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Supply (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: As I indicated in the Topical Issue Debate on this matter on 22 May, my Department has no responsibility for, or role in, the management, maintenance or operation of water infrastructure. However, in view of the problems being experienced in the areas referred to in the Question, my Department met with officials from Wicklow County Council and Dublin City Council on 27 May. The Councils have...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department recently completed a full review of expenditure under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP). As a first step I released €42 million worth of projects which had been approved by the Boards of the Local Development Company’s contracted to deliver the LEADER elements of the RDP. In the event, some €25.5 million in that...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Divisions Report (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I established a Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee on 15 November 2012, in accordance with sections 28, 32 and 33 of the Local Government Act 1991, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Scheme Grants (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes group sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. In December 2012 I announced an increase in the grant for group sewerage schemes to €6,500 per house or 75% of the cost of the scheme, whichever is the lesser. The previous rate of grant available was €2,031.58 per house...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Refunds (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government Management Agency is administering the Household Charge system on a shared service/agency basis for all county and city councils. The information requested is not available within my Department; Household Charge operational matters are a matter for the Agency or the relevant local authority.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: As set out in the reply to Question No. 199 of 15 May 2013 the detail of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2013 will be published when the text is approved by Government.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Amendments (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 466 and 468 together. Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007 sets out the statutory arrangements for the registration of architects.  A variety of routes to registration are provided for in the Act, including specific provision (under section 22) for the registration of practically trained persons who may have no academic qualifications or formal...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Carbon Budget (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am not aware of any carbon credits held by local authorities. I am aware th at one local authority received a small allocation of EU carbon emission allowances in relation to an installation that fell within the scope of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in the 2008-2012 trading period. Management of its responsibilities under the EU trading scheme, including any surplus allowances it may...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: There are 35 Local Development Companies contracted, on my Department’s behalf, to deliver Axes 3 & 4 (LEADER) of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) throughout the country and these groups are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development strategy of the individual groups and in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Service Issues (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the moratorium in relation to local authorities. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each City and County Manager is responsible for staffing and organisational arrangements in each Council. It is a matter for City and County Managers, in the first instance,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Expenditure (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta (MFG), the group contracted by my Department to deliver Axes 3 & 4 (the LEADER elements) of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Collection (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides the legislative basis for the Household Charge. Under the Act, an owner of a residential property on the liability date is liable to pay the Household Charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver. It is a matter for an owner of a residential property to determine liability and pay the Charge. The Local Government...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Introduction (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 476 to 479, inclusive, and 490 together. 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 metering programme. The Water Services Act 2013 assigns the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Licence Applications (28 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The most recent increase in the change for a dog licence took effect from 1 January 2012, with the commencement of the Dog Breeding Establishments Act, 2010.  Dog licence charges are now at €20 for an annual Dog Licence and €140 for a Lifetime of Dog Licence. Prior to 1 January 2012 an annual Dog Licence had been €12.70 since 1998; the increase was in line with the...