Results 11,261-11,280 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Flood Prevention Measures (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department understands from Kildare County Council that following the completion of significant works, undertaken by the Council, the matter is now largely resolved at catchment level. Within the development, other drainage works which are the responsibility of the developer, remain to be completed. The Council is continuing to work with the relevant parties to ensure a permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Members' Remuneration (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 398 together. Section 142 of the Local Government Act 2001 and the Local Authority Members (Gratuity) Regulations 2002 to 2006 provide that, subject to certain conditions, a councillor who ceases to be a member of a local authority is entitled to receive a gratuity at, or after, the age of 50. Where a person ceases to be a member before age 50,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: The principal source of revenue for the Local Government Fund in 2013 is the proceeds of motor tax which are being re-distributed on an equalised basis to local authorities within the context of the annual allocations of General Purpose Grants. A sum of up to €150 million will be transferred from the Local Government Fund to the Exchequer during 2013, as a necessary measure towards...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Animal Welfare Issues (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 and 1992 place statutory responsibility for dog control on local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to establish and maintain shelters for their particular areas, which may involve arrangements with other organisations for the provision of this service. In general, local authorities co-operate very beneficially with dog welfare organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes group water schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection and approval of individual scheme proposals for advancement and funding under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant allocations provided, is therefore a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Inspections (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos . 371 to 376, inclusive, and 381 together. The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 requires owners of premises connected to domestic waste water treatment systems to operate and maintain their systems so as to ensure that those systems do not create a risk to human health or the environment. Domestic waste water treatment systems are defined in the Act...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Administration (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, broadened the revenue base of local authorities by introducing a charge on non-principal private residences. The Charge is set at €200 and liability for it falls, in the main, on owners of rental, holiday and vacant properties. Section 6 of the 2009 Act, as amended, provides that the owner of a liable property who fails to pay the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: Mayo North East Leader Partnership (MNELP) is the Local Action Group contracted by my Department to deliver both the Rural Development Programme (RDP) to the North Mayo area including the area of Brackloon in Co Mayo. My Department has been in contact with MNELP and I understand that no formal application has been received from the group in question and that the project is still at the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Projects (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No 173 of 3 July 2013. There are 35 Local Action Groups contracted, on my Department’s behalf, to deliver the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP) throughout the country and these groups are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Projects funded under the Conservation and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Register of Electors Administration (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 387 and 388 together. These matters are dealt with in the Regulatory Impact Assessment that was published on my Department's website* following the publication of the Electoral, Local Government and Planning and Development Bill 2013 on 27 June 2013. *

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: In February 2009, my Department set out details of the financial requirements for local authorities relating to their overall management of capital and current accounts. These requirements flow directly from the requirement for Government finances as a whole to be managed in accordance with the Stability and Growth Pact, established under the Maastricht Treaty, and the associated limitation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Policy (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Review Implementation Plan was published on 31 January 2012 and is available on my Department’s website, www.environ.ie. The plan contains a list of 58 actions arising from the review, some of which are a matter for my Department and others which are the responsibility of the EPA and others. In the plan, I prioritised a number of actions for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Collection (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: Subsection 4 of section 5 of the Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, enabled the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to prescribe a fee for the payment of a charge by a person attending at the offices of a local authority providing such payment services. Article 4 of the Local Government (Charges) Regulations 2011 prescribes the fee for the purposes of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 526 of 2 July, 2013. Any proposal to provide additional payment channels for motor tax will be considered in the context of the outcome of the assessment to which I referred to in that reply.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in County Clare. The Programme includes contracts under construction and to commence to the value of some €41 million in County Clare during the period of the Programme. The Programme aims to prioritise projects that target...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Funding (9 Jul 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 Local Development Companies (LDCs) contracted to deliver the Programme. The Programme had been reduced in size due to a change in the EU co-funding rate. County Kildare LEADER Partnership (CKLP), the LDC...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (9 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: An emissions-based motor tax system was introduced for private vehicles registered from 1 July 2008. Private vehicles registered before that date pay motor tax on the basis of engine capacity. I have no plans at present to review the basis of taxation for either category of vehicle.

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Finances (10 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: Before I go into the detail of the case Deputy Durkan raised, I will give him some background information about certain controls in place since 2009 when a circular was issued by my Department in respect of the control and monitoring of local authorities' contribution to the general government balance, or GGB. The GGB is the measure of the borrowings and surpluses or deficits across the...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Finances (10 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: I assure the Acting Chairman that Deputy Durkan does not interpret me correctly. I have set out clearly that Leixlip Town Council has sufficient money in its capital account, as it had in 2012, to do some of the things it wishes to do. It should not take money from the revenue account in order to achieve the same purpose.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Administration (10 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 187, 188 and 203 together. I understand that Question No. 203 concerns the non-principal private residence charge. The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, broadened the revenue base of local authorities by introducing a charge on non-principal private residences. The charge is set at €200 and liability for it falls, in the main, on...