Results 12,461-12,480 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Vice Chairman for the invitation to meet the committee today to discuss the agenda for the next meeting of the EU Environment Council, which takes place on the 13 December in Brussels. As this is my first appearance before the committee on EU matters since Ireland held the Presidency of the EU, I take this opportunity to touch briefly on achievements in the area of environment...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: We have reduced infringements from 19 to ten. This includes issues like environmental impact assessments of farms and septic tanks. We were fined up to €5 million in respect of those two issues and paid those fines. Those cases are now closed so there will be no further activity on those files. We are working through others which are at various levels of development with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: On the plastic bags issue, we are conscious that the ambition with which this country led the way must not be thwarted by some of the unintended consequences of what might be proposed. Several years ago we were all discussing the huge opportunities for Ireland in biofuel production. The discussion appears to have gone quiet in recent times because of issues relating to profitability. An...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: We paid €2.7 million in fines to the EU arising because of our inactivity in registering septic tanks. That would have been unnecessary if action had been taken earlier. That was a lower figure than was being highlighted to us by the Commission earlier in the process. Within weeks of becoming Minister, I dealt with that issue but it was a little late in the day from the point of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Absolutely. I have no problem with that. I take expert views from all sources. The fact that I have taken on board reasonable suggestions shows how valuable the work of the committee is. The Deputy stated that she wanted the committee set up on the same basis as the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and I have no difficulty with that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The committee will not find me wanting on that issue. Many producer responsibility, PRI, reviews are ongoing across many waste streams. We conducted one recently on packaging and I refer members to this on our website. They can examine it and make recommendations in the context of implementation. However, I am not proceeding with a packaging levy. There are ways to deal with this issue...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I will have to ask my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, to help us on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: There is just one other issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: There is one other issue from the discussion so far. We have some producer-responsibility initiatives and I announced the public consultation process for two of them in recent times. One was for tyres. In a rural constituency, like the Vice Chairman's and mine, they are not all in silage pits. If we could find the 50% of them that go missing it would be a big help to the environment....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Its representatives might be able to meet my officials and explore the matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Our new initiative will be of help to that company, I presume.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I never mentioned Tipperary at all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I will ask my colleague from the heritage section to deal with some issues in private session shortly. Whenever there is a big issue such as the ash disease interdepartmental co-operation should happen at all times - I hope it does happen. I accept that issues relating to air quality bring about the spread of this particular disease. We will certainly be glad to take up the Vice...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: We will have to go into private session if the Vice Chairman wants to hear more about the zebra mussel.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Assuming I get approval from Government, I expect to be in a position to publish the Bill by Easter 2014.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I wish to clarify that we have no difficulty with Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív taking Question No. 1 on behalf of Deputy Barry Cowen.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for his clarification. Mountmellick sewerage scheme, phases 2 and 3, is listed in the current water services investment programme 2010–13 as a scheme to progress through planning. The scheme aims to improve the wastewater infrastructure to meet the needs of existing development within the town. Phase 2 will involve the upgrade and expansion of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: We are making progress. Mountmellick sewerage scheme is included in the programme for the period 2010 to 2013. As I said, the Environmental Protection Agency has to adjudicate on the application for a wastewater discharge licence. It is an independent agency and I cannot interfere in that process. The application was lodged just a few months ago arising following the decision by An Bord...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I have just told the Deputy that all of the projects listed in the water services investment programme 2010-13 will transfer to Irish Water on 1 January 2014; therefore, the project will be included in the capital investment plan for the period 2014 to 2015. We cannot progress the project any further until we receive the EPA licence. It will not move backwards when responsibility is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation Provision (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department's role in respect of homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility for the provision of accommodation for homeless persons and related services rests with housing authorities. It is a matter for individual authorities...