Results 10,941-10,960 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: RAPID Programme (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: The RAPID programme aims to ensure that priority attention is given to tackling the spatial concentration of poverty and social exclusion within designated RAPID areas nationally. My Department administers the RAPID Leverage Schemes, which are designed to support small scale projects identified locally by Area Implementation Teams in each of the RAPID areas. These schemes are co-funded by...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Elections Expenditure (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: The spending limits per candidate that applied at the local elections held in 2009 are set out in Section 12A of the Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 1999. For the 34 county and city councils a sliding scale with four separate spending limits, based on the population within each individual electoral area, applied. A spending limit of €7,500 applied in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 624, 625 and 638 together. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies. The Government has also decided that Irish Water, a new State-owned water company to be established as an independent subsidiary...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Service Issues (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 626 and 627 together. The provision of fire services in local authority areas, including the establishment and maintenance of fire brigades, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of premises, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities under the provisions of the Fire Services Act 1981. My Department supports fire...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department recently completed a full review of expenditure under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 in order to apportion the remaining funding among all the LDCs contracted to deliver the Programme. As part of this exercise €6 million was provided for the Gaeltacht areas formerly served by Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta (MFG). When apportioning the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Service Issues (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department does not collect this information. It is a matter for the individual fire authorities concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: 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 for households connected to public water supplies. The Water Services Act 2013 assigns the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the metering programme. There are...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: Following the publication of Putting People First - Action Programme for Effective Local Government, progress is being made across a number of fronts regarding the implementation of the Alignment recommendations. A working g roup has been established to assist and advise on the implementation of the recommendations and has had five meetings to date. The working group comprises...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: Local authorities are required to prepare their annual financial statements in the prescribed format in accordance with the Local Authority Accounting in Ireland Code of Practice and Accounting Regulations, issued by my Department in December 2009 under section 107 of the Local Government Act 2001. This publication is available on my Department's website at I can confirm that Sligo County...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: Section 100 of the Local Government Act 2001 sets out that where a county council provides a service or carries out a function in or in relation to a rating town or borough council, it shall levy a charge known as a County Charge on that town or borough council for providing such a service. In determining a County Charge, the county council is required to prepare a statement of estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety Regulations (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: Since 1 June 1992, all new, extended or materially altered buildings must be built in compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations. The requirements of the Building Regulations are set out in 12 parts (classified as parts A to M) addressing the legally enforceable minimum performance standards which a completed building must achieve. My Department publishes a Technical...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tax Clearance Certificates (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Government's Action Programme for Effective Local Government provides for the development of a uniform code of ethics by my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, across the public service. In the case of local government, the aim is to deliver, and to be seen to deliver, better governance locally. Elements identified in the Action Programme include the need for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Scheme Grants (11 Jun 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: Proposed Legislation (11 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department published a consultation paper entitled A New Planning and Consent Architecture for Development in the Marine Areain January 2013. Submissions were invited for a period of four weeks during February. Over 200 submissions were received from a broad range of stakeholders including public authorities, companies, environmental NGOs, trade and industry representative bodies, and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Services Provision (12 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: The independent assessment of the establishment of a public water utility undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2011 estimated that there were just over 4,000 whole-time equivalent staff directly engaged in water services. A breakdown of this figure is not available in my Department. The local authority water services transition office is gathering this information on a water services...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Services Provision (12 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: There are a number of questions. Ultimately, there will be an increase in employment relating to water provision. What we are seeking to do is to generate an efficient implementation programme that will mean that the processes we have at the moment between local authorities and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government will be rationalised to the extent that we will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water Services Provision (12 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: I do not agree with Deputy Cowen that it is appropriate to have public representation at the management-union talks that are ongoing under the chairmanship of Mr. Foley from the Labour Relations Commission. There are many technical issues to be resolved. Public representatives are in charge of policy and will effectively be the board of directors in respect of local authorities in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Government Reform (12 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am confident that the new governance arrangements within counties will enable councillors to represent their constituents more effectively than under current arrangements. While the recommendations of the local electoral area boundary committee involve an overall reduction in the number of local electoral areas, the level of representation across local authorities will be more...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Government Reform (12 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: I subscribe to the general principle-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Government Reform (12 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: I have an idea what they are thinking. I will tell the Deputy what Sinn Féin was thinking in advance.