Results 12,761-12,780 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: There are court cases in the system-----

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: That does not give me the legal cover to do what the Deputy asked me to do. I have to get my advice from the Attorney General. There are cases before the Supreme Court and home owners are also taking cases. We have to await the outcome of those cases, which the Deputy, as a legislator, should know. However, I am prepared to re-examine this matter once we know the outcome of those cases....

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am only in office a little while.

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I do not appreciate the Deputy's negativity on behalf of the home owners.

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy's rhetoric does not do him any justice. In response to Deputy Clare Daly's question, home owners will be excluded until the litigation ends. These are difficult legal situations for some people. We have to exclude them if they are taking cases until such time as the litigation ends. That might be an issue we would have to take up with the Pyrite Resolution Board and discuss...

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: No, I will not have a compensation fund. We have a remediation scheme. Obviously, the remediation scheme will be determined by what money we can accrue from Government for it. I have €10 million of an initial down-payment for this scheme, I will get more money in 2014 and we will see how we get on as the scheme progresses over the two-year period. I want to make it perfectly clear...

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: There are established practices for the chairpersons of any statutory body to appear upon request to the Oireachtas committee and, accordingly, there is no specific requirement for including this as an amendment to the Bill. It is also absolutely implicit that the chairperson would attend on receipt of a request from the committee. Therefore, there should no reason a chairperson should...

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: It is a matter for the Whips to arrange what happens before the House but all I am saying is that, in addition to the normal arrangements for any statutory body to come before the relevant Oireachtas committee, which the Deputy can attend, the chairperson of the Pyrite Resolution Board will submit a report to me on a quarterly basis and I will submit it to all Deputies and Senators in the...

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The amendments proposed are not required having regard to what is already in the Bill. The Bill provides for the appointment of persons to the Pyrite Resolution Board, the appointment of appeals officers, the establishment of procedures for appeals to an appeals officer, the removal of a person from a board, the filling of a vacancy on the board and the circumstances under which these...

Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I thank all Members of the House for their co-operation in this important matter for homeowners. As I said on Second Stage, this problem affects many people in the Leinster area and all sides of the House have been co-operative with the departmental officials and the Pyrite Resolution Board. We will be in a position to ensure the Pyrite Resolution Board can give as much information as...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Noise Pollution (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Section 108 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 provides for any person, or group of persons, to seek an order in the District Court to have annoyance causing noise abated, if reasonable cause is shown. The procedures involved allow for action to be taken without legal representation. In addition, section 107 of the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 provides local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Traffic Calming Measures (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I have no function in regard to this matter which falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Fund (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The local government funding model will change considerably in 2014. Under the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, commencing in 2014, the Minister for Finance will pay into the Local Government Fund an amount equivalent to the Local Property Tax paid into the Central Fund during that year; this revenue will be allocated to local authorities from the Fund. The funding to be provided to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Landfill Sites (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently managing the Kerdiffstown landfill site, including works such as leachate and odour management. My Department continues to fund this work and will provide support for the ongoing remediation of the site again in 2014. I understand that the EPA signed a contract on 27 February 2013 for the provision of site management services and for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Fund (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I assume that the Question refers to the Local Government Fund. The Local Government Fund accounts are audited on an annual basis by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Full details of all income and expenditure in respect of the years 2008 to 2012 are available from the audited accounts of the Fund, published on my Department's website, A summary of the income and expenditure for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Stations Provision (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises, is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under section 10 of the Fire Services Act 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through setting general policy, providing a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Noise Pollution Legislation (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to take further steps to address noise pollution, inter alia, through the introduction of fixed payment notices (also known as on-the-spot fines).  The development of new noise legislation by my Department is being considered in the context of this commitment. I expect to bring the General Scheme of the Bill to Government for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Priory Hall Development (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: HomeBond is a private limited company which provided a structural guarantee scheme to purchasers of new homes. Since November 2008 the scheme is underwritten by Allianz Insurance. My Department is aware that the builder/developer of Priory Hall was a member of HomeBond and that the apartment units at Priory Hall were registered for cover under the structural guarantee scheme. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Amendments (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Building regulations, which are primarily concerned with the safety and well-being of persons in and around buildings, set down mandatory performance standards for buildings. The statutory requirements are set out in twelve parts (classified as parts A to M) included under the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations 1997-2013. Technical guidance documents (TGDs) are published to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (19 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Electoral law provides for measures in connection with voter identification and the prevention of personation that are designed to strike a proper balance between the requirement to maintain the security and integrity of the electoral process while providing a necessary degree of flexibility to ensure that voters entitled to vote may do so. At the polling station, the returning officer or...