Results 13,101-13,120 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Working Group on citizen engagement with local government, under the Chairmanship of Fr. Sean Healy, was established on 26 September 2013 to make recommendations on more extensive and diverse input by citizens into the decision-making process and to allow for facilitation of input by citizens into decision making at the local government level. The working group was given a short...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 216 together. The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to the introduction of water charges based on usage above a free allowance. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has, therefore, decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: In January 2013, the Economic and Social Research Institute was commissioned by my Department to undertake a study of water affordability and the provision of water services in Ireland. The report was finalised in March 2013 and cost €51,798. An inter-departmental working group was established in October 2013 to advise the Government on the appropriate method for addressing water...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Acts 2013 provide that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) will be responsible for the economic regulation of Irish Water. In particular, the CER will be responsible for approving the water charges plans prepared by Irish Water, and for approving codes of practice to be prepared by Irish Water. The codes of practice will cover matters such as the standard of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Bodies (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The State Agencies under the aegis of my Department are as follows: An Bord Pleanála Dublin Docklands Development Authority Environmental Protection Agency Housing Finance Agency Irish Water Safety Housing & Sustainable Communities Agency Local Government Management Agency Private Residential Tenancies Board Radiological Protection Institute Ireland Western Development Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Projects (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Preparations for Ireland’s Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (RDP) have begun and public consultation on the Programme will commence shortly with a view to the programme commencing in 2015. Expenditure under the current 2007-2013 Programme will continue in 2014. Within the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 a separate financial allocation will be allocated for LEADER activity....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Labour Activation Measures (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Issues concerning labour activation measures, including JobBridge and the Local Authority Labour Activation Scheme (Gateway), are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection.  As labour activation placements in local authorities do not form part of the Employment Control Framework for local government, sanction by my Department for schemes of this nature is not required.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Severe Weather Events Response (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: My Department is lead Government Department for the emergency response to severe weather events and I presented a preliminary report to Government on 14 January setting out the meteorological background to the series of storms, the preparedness measures adopted by local authorities and relevant Government Departments and Agencies to the weather alerts from Met Éireann, their actual...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Expenditure (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The current value of the Axes 3 and 4 elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 is €370 million. In addition, there is €5 million allocated to the Axis 1 Agri-food measure. Of this up to a maximum of 20% can be spent on administration with the remaining monies for projects and animation. To date €182 million has been spent on projects and €11 million...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Information requested is set out in the following table. Pobal, a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status, manages a significant proportion of this funding on behalf of the Department under both the Local Community and Development Programme (LCDP) and Dormant Accounts. In addition, my Department provides funding directly to a number of other organisations under the LCDP and the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Watermains rehabilitation was a key priority of the Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 which included the Kerry Watermains Rehabilitation Project valued at €18.79 million. Kerry County Council submitted a number of water conservation proposals to my Department and my Department approved funding for watermains rehabilitation works totalling €10.69 million. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Language Issues (16 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: There are approximately 31 staff in my Department who are proficient to carry out their duties through the medium of Irish which equates to 4% of staff in the Department. I am satisfied that, at this time, my Department has sufficient numbers of staff proficient in the Irish language to allow it to fulfil its obligations under the Department’s Irish language scheme 2013-2016. As part...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Constitutional Convention Recommendations (21 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 418 and 419 together. The Fifth Report of the Convention on the Constitution, which recommends giving citizens resident outside the State the right to vote in Presidential elections, was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 26 November 2013. In accordance with the resolution of the Oireachtas on the calling of the Convention, the Government will...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (21 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 162 of 18 December 2013, which addresses this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (21 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 421, 452, 464, 465 and 493 together. No Exchequer funds were provided to Bord Gáis or Irish Water in 2012 or 2013 in relation to establishment costs. In 2014, Irish Water, which now has statutory responsibility for water services, will receive €240m in equity from the Minister for Finance and €490m from the Local Government Fund but no...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Expenditure (21 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos . 422, 426, 432, 451, 453, 454, 459, 460 and 495 together. The establishment of Irish Water is an integral component of the Government’s water sector reform strategy and involves major organisational change, an entirely new funding structure governed by economic regulation, the introduction of domestic water charges based on usage and the roll-out of a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (21 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 423, 427, 442, 469, 481 and 483 to 488, inclusive, together. The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to the introduction of water charges based on usage above a free allowance. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has, therefore, decided that water meters should be installed in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (21 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 424, 462 and 463 together. The Water Services (No.2) Act 2013 transferred statutory responsibility for water services to Irish Water and provided for local authorities to act as agents for Irish Water, with this relationship being expressed through Service Level Agreements. The agreements signed between Irish Water and individual local authorities were...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (21 Jan 2014)

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...