Results 1,341-1,360 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The task force set up in my Department to establish strategies to address the range of environmental complaints against Ireland in a more comprehensive way is fully operational. In addressing its work, the task force has been building on an intensified engagement by my Department with Commission officials and with the implementing agencies in Ireland that has been developed over recent...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49, 61, 832 and 833 together. The Government decision in February 2000 to move to electronic voting and counting aimed to secure a range of identified benefits compared to the current manual arrangements, including: more democratic outcomes through the minimisation of invalid votes and the more accurate counting of votes; provision of a higher level of service...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The number of unique visitors to www.environ.ie from 1 January to 31 May 2005 was 279,024.

Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 138 together. The Environmental Protection Agency's report, Water Quality in Ireland 2001-2003, stated that the overall condition of Irish waters remains satisfactory and compares favourably with the position in other European countries. The report indicates that there is a further decline in the extent of serious pollution in rivers, a decline in the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Discussions involving officials of my Department, the Department of Agriculture and Food, and the EU Commission are ongoing on Ireland's nitrates action programme and I expect to be in a position to submit a final version of the programme to the Commission shortly.

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Since the establishment in 2004 by the Office of Environmental Enforcement of a national enforcement network, there has been regular contact between relevant officials from the Environment and Heritage Service of Northern Ireland and our own enforcement authorities. The function of the enforcement network is to harness the collective resources, expertise and investigative capacity of all the...

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Ireland's positive but precautionary policy on modern biotechnology is based on the work of the interdepartmental group on modern biotechnology, October 2000, whose report was endorsed by the Government. The report concluded that we should acknowledge the potential benefits of genetic engineering while maintaining a fundamental commitment to safety and environmental sustainability, based on...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The amended part L — conservation of fuel and energy — of the building regulations 2002 and the related technical guidance document E, 2002 edition, came into effect on 1 January 2003 and set significantly higher insulation levels and thermal performance standards for new dwellings, including apartments, subject to the transitional exemption of new dwellings for which planning permission...

Written Answers — Local Authority Properties: Local Authority Properties (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The provision of office accommodation for a local authority is primarily a matter for the local authority concerned. Section 106 of the Local Government Act 2001 requires local authorities to obtain sanction to borrow money. Under this provision, 19 local authorities received sanction, in the period 2000 to 2004, to borrow a total of €252 million for the provision, extension or...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The report, Gap Analysis for the Implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000 on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency and prepared by the consultants URS Ireland Limited, will be posted on the EPA's website, www.epa.ie, shortly. I will also arrange for copies to be placed in the Oireachtas Library.

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Waste enforcement activities in individual cases are primarily a matter for the local authorities concerned and/or the office of environmental enforcement. However, section 60 of the Waste Management Act 1996 authorises the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to give general directions to the Environmental Protection Agency and/or local authorities on waste management...

Written Answers — Radon Gas Levels: Radon Gas Levels (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 65 together. Over the years, the Government, largely through the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, has committed significant resources to assessing the extent of the radon problem throughout the country and to increasing public awareness of radon and public health. While the provision of Exchequer grant assistance for remediation works is...

Written Answers — Archaeological Sites: Archaeological Sites (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 115 together. My Department has not contested the ownership of the Lusitania. In 1995, following reports of divers, concerns were raised regarding the integrity of the Lusitania wreck and an underwater heritage order was placed on it. The effect of the order was to extend to the wreck of the Lusitania the same protection under the National Monuments...

Written Answers — Register of Electors: Register of Electors (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: On 4 April 2005, together with officials of my Department, I met representatives of Thom's Directories who are seeking changes to electoral law in so far as it relates to use of the register of electors for other than electoral or other statutory purposes. On 18 May 2005, I received from one of the representatives concerned correspondence about a newspaper article on the issue. Neither I, my...

Written Answers — Local Authority Briefings: Local Authority Briefings (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: There is a requirement under the Local Government Act 2001 (Section 237A) Regulations 2003, for each county or city manager to arrange to meet with local parliamentary representatives as a group at least annually. It is understood from informal inquiries made with local authorities that since the regulations came into force, all managers have met with some or all of their relevant...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The South East Agenda 2020 report was prepared by a south east agenda task force on behalf of the south east chambers of commerce. At the invitation of the sponsors I was pleased to launch the report last week. South East Agenda 2020 takes account of the Government's national spatial strategy, which sets out a 20 year planning framework designed to enable every part of the country to achieve...

Written Answers — Radon Gas Levels: Radon Gas Levels (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 85, 106, 124 and 790 together. It is not possible to ascribe any individual death directly to exposure to radon, particularly as a recent European study published in the British Medical Journal on 21 December 2004 shows that the risk of contracting lung cancer from radon is 25 times greater for smokers. However, the Radiological Protection Institute of...

Written Answers — Register of Electors: Register of Electors (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 72, 87, 98, 123 and 792 together. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 24 and 26 on today's Order Paper.

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The Community Climate Change Consortium for Ireland, c4i, project, established in 2003, has allowed the development of a regional climate model facility for Ireland within Met Éireann. This will increase national capacity to analyse future climate conditions in Ireland and their impacts at local level. The results outlined in the report, Climate Change — Regional Climate Model Predictions...

Written Answers — Archaeological Sites: Archaeological Sites (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Subsequent to the approval of the Waterford bypass road scheme by An Bord Pleanála, test archaeological investigations were carried out which revealed the existence of the Viking site at Woodstown. A proposal to preserve the site underneath the road was made to my Department. An internal working document, evaluating various options including full excavation and preservation under the road,...