Results 13,321-13,340 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I will never forget the Senator. He need not worry about that.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: When it suits the Senator, he talks about the North.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I thank all Senators who contributed to the debate. As stated at the outset, in this Bill we are continuing the practice of implementing, in full, the recommendations of an independent commission. I take into account people's concerns with regard to the geography and scale of the territory involved and their suggestions that we should examine the latter in the future. I have no difficulty...

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am delighted Fianna Fáil joined a group in recent times because it had been on the fringes for a long period. I am delighted Senator Leyden brought this matter to my attention.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Fianna Fáil has come centre stage.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: It eventually saw the light.

Seanad: European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (23 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Fianna Fáil could not do that until the Progressive Democrats had departed the scene. The Council's decision of June 2013 provided for the holding of elections to the European Parliament this year. Many of the concerns expressed by Senators are not, as Senator Bradford noted, really relevant in the context of the forthcoming elections. However, those concerns, some of which relate to...

Topical Issue Debate: Waste Management Issues (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter. Last Saturday morning, at approximately 3 a.m., the Dublin fire service responded to an emergency call reporting a large fire at the Oxigen environmental waste facility in an industrial estate at Ballymount, Dublin. In co­ordination with An Garda Síochána, the Dublin fire service has been managing the incident since...

Topical Issue Debate: Waste Management Issues (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I assure all Deputies that this matter is being treated extremely seriously by my Department. It is the least we could do considering the scale of the incident and how businesses and residences were so badly affected. I assure Deputy Crowe lessons will be learned from the investigations being carried out. I do not have all the answers for the Deputies. I suppose that is to be expected....

European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." In commending the European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill to this House, I am asking Dáil Éireann to continue the long-established practice of implementing in full the recommendations of independent constituency reviews. The Bill provides for the implementation of the recommendations in the report on European Parliament...

European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: We will look after them.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Acts 2013 provides that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) will be responsible for the independent economic regulation of Irish Water.  The primary role of the Regulator will be to protect the interests of customers and to ensure a consistent and appropriate level of service is provided to them.  In particular, the CER will be responsible for approving...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Environmental Protection Enforcement (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 485 and 546 together. Under section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act 1996, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by the Environmental Protection Agency or a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory function vested in it, including enforcement functions. Issues concerning the enforcement of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Severe Weather Events Response (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: During the period from 13 December 2014 to 6 January 2014 Ireland was subjected to a series of severe storms, affecting the country roughly once every three days. In addition to the very strong winds, there were periods of extremely heavy rain and a lot of thunderstorm activity. These storms coincided with high spring tides and created severe and damaging conditions in a number of coastal...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Question Nos. 489 and 494 together. The local government funding model is changing considerably in 2014. Under the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, commencing this year, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 490 and 514 together. The Water Services Transition Office (WSTO) was established by the County and City Managers’ Association to assist with the implementation of the water sector reform process. The role of the WSTO is to support the delivery of the water sector reform programme on behalf of the local government sector, by co-ordinating the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Contracts (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Under the Water Services Investment Programme 2010-2013 my Department provided funding to facilitate the provision of safe and efficient water services and related infrastructure. The awarding of individual contracts was a matter for the relevant Water Services Authority – Offaly County Council in this case. Since 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Expenditure (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 495, 496, 499, 534 and 543 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 national domestic...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 497 and 510 together. Irish Water was established, following the passage of the Water Services Act, 2013 during 2013. The delivery of water services under a public utility model is expected to bring benefits in terms of access to new sources of revenue to fund greater investment in water services infrastructure and provide more efficient and better quality...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Act 2013 provide s for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group , which conforms to the conditions set out in the Act and is registered under the Companies Acts. The Act provides that Irish Water will be required to submit an annual report on the performance of its functions each year to the Minister for the...