Results 13,401-13,420 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Nitrates Usage (30 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Nitrates Directive and Ireland's National Nitrates Action Programme are given legal effect by the consolidated European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2010. The objective of the Regulations is to protect ground and surface waters, including drinking water sources, primarily through the management of livestock manures and other fertilisers. In...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Flood Relief Schemes Applications (30 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: During the period from 13 December 2013 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: Water Meters Expenditure (30 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. The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Seniors Alert Scheme (30 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Seniors Alert Scheme aims to encourage community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The Scheme is administered by local community and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (30 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services. The Act also provides that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) will be responsible for the independent economic regulation of Irish Water.  The CER will be...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Staff (30 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Irish Water is being established to accelerate capital investment in water services and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of water services delivery. The organisation needs to be appropriately resourced to fulfil this task and will not be over-staffed. Irish Water is currently recruiting to build up the required internal capabilities and the number of staff employed is an operational...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Aquaculture Licences (30 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am responding on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd. Aquaculture licensing is governed by the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997, as amended, and regulations including, in particular, the Aquaculture (Licence Application) Regulations 1998, SI 236 of 1998 as amended. The 1997 Act obliges the Minister for...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Building Regulations Compliance (30 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am glad of the opportunity to outline the position for Senator Daly. The new Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013 will strengthen the arrangements currently in place for the control of building activity by requiring greater accountability in compliance with building regulations in the form of statutory certification of design and construction, lodgement of compliance...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Funding (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: No Exchequer funding was provided to Bord Gáis or Irish Water in 2012 or 2013 for the establishment costs of Irish Water. In 2014 Irish Water, which now has statutory responsibility for water services, will receive €240 million in equity from the Minister for Finance and €490 million from the Local Government Fund but no other funding from the Department’s Vote for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Funding (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: As the Deputy will be aware, we are conscious of the importance of full transparency in these matters, particularly when it comes to funding Irish Water, directly or indirectly. As we promised at the Oireachtas joint committee, we are setting up an office in Irish Water to ensure there will be parliamentary accountability. I hope that work will be completed shortly. Any additional...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Irish Water Funding (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: We are conscious of the need to ensure there would be a direct response to Members of this House on money, by loan or otherwise, for the operational or business costs associated with Irish Water. That will be the case and I will certainly see to it that it is carried out.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The strategic environmental assessment, SEA, directive, 2001/42/EC, which has been transposed into Irish law, establishes the process by which environmental considerations are required to be fully integrated into the preparation of plans and programmes prior to their final adoption. It is the responsibility of the competent authority in the relevant sector, in this case EirGrid, to determine...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am not going to speak about a particular company or project. I am not aware of the details involved.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Yes. The SEA directive which has been transposed into Irish law establishes a process to consider all matters relating to the environment. The expert panel will review all of the processes to see if they are required. It will not be within the sole remit of EirGrid to decide that issue. Some 35,000 submissions were made on these matters. The Government is entitled to examine public...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: What is happening on 23 June?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Electricity Generation (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy is correct on one of the options he mentioned; the expert panel will consider the matter concerning the North-South interconnector and come to its view in the next couple of weeks. As regards the terms of reference of the study which applies to my Department, they are set out on the basis of identifying and examining all relevant peer-reviewed scientific literature, including the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Programme Funding (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: As the Deputy knows, Ireland has received an allocation from the EU of €2.1 billion for the rural development programme for 2014 to 2020. The EU regulations provide for a 5% minimum allocation for Leader. The Government has decided to increase this to 7% and I welcome this. Therefore, €153 million in EU funding will be available for Leader and this will be co-financed by...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Programme Funding (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The agricultural elements of the programme are very different from the Leader elements. That programme will commence spending this year with the agri-environment options scheme and support for disadvantaged areas, which I am sure the Deputy welcomes. In our case, spend on the current Leader programme will continue into 2015, and as the Deputy noted, the programme spend is not expected to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Programme Funding (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I have already indicated that 5% was the minimum requirement and under the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, 7% is available for funding under the rural development programme. That is €153 million out of the Leader element of the rural development programme. We must negotiate now on a co-funding basis with the Department of Public...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rural Development Programme Funding (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The European Commission will co-finance the programme up to 80%. If Ireland avails of this rate, the value of the Leader programme will be €191 million. However, if the Leader elements are co-financed in the same way as other elements of the programme, at a ratio of 54%:46%, that would mean a greater amount of money available to Leader, up to €283 million.