Results 13,281-13,300 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Local Government Reform Bill 2013: From the Seanad (Resumed) (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Amendments Nos. 93 and 100 are related and provide for the deletion of section 230 of the Local Government Act 2001 and a consequential provision arising under the deletion. Under section 230 of the principal Act, the Minister is empowered to dissolve joint burial boards and cemetery joint committees and to transfer those responsibilities, including all land, other property, rights, moneys...

Local Government Reform Bill 2013: From the Seanad (Resumed) (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: It is a seamless transition directly to the overarching authority and, in the case of Tipperary, it will be to Tipperary County Council. There will be no legal costs associated with this and it is a matter for the local authority as to what it wants to do with properties deemed surplus to requirements. The council will make a decision on what to do, whether it is to allow them be sold or...

Local Government Reform Bill 2013: From the Seanad (Resumed) (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: To which costs is the Deputy referring?

Local Government Reform Bill 2013: From the Seanad (Resumed) (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: When there is change there will clearly be some costs associated with rebranding what is being done.

Local Government Reform Bill 2013: From the Seanad (Resumed) (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: No, as it is a matter for the local authorities. I hope they will do it as cheaply as possible.

Local Government Reform Bill 2013: From the Seanad (Resumed) (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The purpose of the legislation is to ensure there are no additional costs and we are already making significant savings with procurement, and I hope Tipperary county council will do the same. We will be doing everything possible to guide the councils along the way in terms of tendering and procurement in order to reduce costs.

Local Government Reform Bill 2013: From the Seanad (Resumed) (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: This is a technical amendment relating to the definition of a local economic and community plan. There are a number of other amendments consequential to this amendment, including amendment Nos. 99, 116, 117, 119 and 122. Following consultation with the public regional assemblies, municipal districts and the local community development committees in respect of the economic elements, it will...

Local Government Reform Bill 2013: From the Seanad (Resumed) (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I can assure the Deputy that the national oversight and audit commission, on which public representatives will also sit and which will operate at a regional assembly level, with public representatives present, will be able to consider best practice with all service delivery in each local authority in the region. The commission will report to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment,...

Local Government Reform Bill 2013: From the Seanad (Resumed) (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Deputies for their contributions to the debate. At the beginning of Second Stage, I indicated that I was prepared to listen carefully to the discussions in this House and that where Members had practical experience of what we were trying to do I would take many of their views into account. We have taken many of the issues into account. I thank Deputies Cowen, Stanley and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 to 143, inclusive, and 150 together. The Programme for the development of national climate policy and legislation, which I issued in January 2012 in response to a request from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, is the process under which national greenhouse gas mitigation policy and climate change adaptation...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann, to be formed and registered under the Companies Act. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: 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 supplies. An inter-departmental working group has been...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: It is a matter for each local authority, including Sligo and Donegal County Councils, to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Kilcummin Sewerage Scheme was included in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 as a scheme to advance through planning. The most recent proposal from the Council in relation to this scheme was received in my Department in June 2012. My Department examined this proposal and requested further information from the Council. Kerry County Council...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Staff (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The establishment of Irish Water involves major organisational change, an entirely new funding structure governed by economic regulation and the roll-out of a national domestic metering programme. The role of my Department is to drive the overall water sector reform process which includes developing the policy and legislation and ensuring delivery of the implementation strategy which was...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service was introduced in March 2009 in response to the financial crisis. My Department operates a delegated sanction from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for implementation of the moratorium in relation to local authorities, and any exceptions to the moratorium in local authorities require sanction from my Department....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Sector Management Appointments (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am committed to ensuring that senior level appointments of the kind referred to are publicly advertised in line with general public service recruitment policies and practices and reflecting the Government’s commitment to ensure that such posts, which are central to the effective performance of our system of public administration, attract the widest range of high calibre...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Outsourcing of Public Services (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The information requested in the question is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible. My Department already uses outsourcing as an effective and efficient way of providing services in areas such as ICT for telephony services, building services and property evaluation for foreshore licence applications. Given the mainly policy orientation of my Department the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Bodies Establishment (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government Management Services Board and the Local Government Computer Services Board have merged with the establishment of the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) in August 2012. The LGMA also took on residual functions from An Chomhairle Leabharlanna, which was dissolved as of 1 November 2012. The Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency (HSCA) was established in 2012....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (22 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: No employee in any semi-State body under the aegis of my Department received bonus payments in 2011, 2012 and 2013.