Results 13,641-13,660 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Bodies Contracts (20 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: As Irish Water is a commercial utility and a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann, formed and registered under the Companies Act, I have no role in relation to the procurement by Irish Water of external resources. This is an operational matter for the company. However, my Department has asked Irish Water to put in place specific arrangements to address the queries which public...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Data Protection (20 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: My Department is fully committed to the protection of data. There is an Officer in charge of developing and implementing a data protection policy in my Department and registration details are available on the website of the Data Protection Commissioner, .

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Severe Weather Events Response (20 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Following consideration of a report from me on the severe weather that has affected Ireland, the Government decided on 11 February that a sum of up to €70 million will be made available for a programme of repair and remediation works. This will enable local authorities in the areas worst affected by the storms, including the most recent flooding, to help affected communities by...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rainwater Harvesting Systems Provision (20 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am fully supportive of all technologies which contribute to the conservation of water. Rainwater harvesting has the potential to contribute to reducing the cost of water services for certain uses as well as benefiting the environment. Irish Water has an overall remit to promote water conservation. The use of water meters whereby the household will be charged for the amount of water...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision (20 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 and 177 together. I understand the questions relate to a proposed Group Sewerage Scheme included in Monaghan County Council’s recently submitted request for funding under the 2014 Rural Water Programme. Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes group sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Fund (20 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 172 together. I presume the questions refer to the General Purpose Grant allocations from the Local Government Fund. In December 2013, I announced General Purpose Grants (GPGs) to local authorities of €275 million for 2014. When taken with the estimated water costs of up to €730 million that will be transferred from the local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Shared Services (20 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Shared services have been identified in the Local Government Efficiency Review and the Public Service Reform Plans as an important opportunity to make further savings in administrative costs, through streamlining and improving service delivery without impacting on front line services. To drive the reform agenda, and in particular shared service initiatives, in the local government sector, a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (20 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Dublin Water Supply Scheme (Long-Term Water Source) was included in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 as a scheme to advance through planning during the lifetime of the Programme. Studies have identified the River Shannon as the proposed source and the proposal was the subject of a Strategic Environmental Assessment. In September 2013,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (20 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Licensing authorities have an obligation under Article 3 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1992 to be satisfied that a vehicle is correctly taxed and it is thus open to a motor tax office to seek any appropriate documentation that would indicate that the applicant is in trade or business when the goods rate of motor tax is being applied for. It is up...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each City and County Manager is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authorities for which he or she is responsible. In this regard, it is a matter for City and County Managers, in the first instance, to ensure that the moratorium is implemented while the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Control of Dogs (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: It is a matter for each local authority to manage the dog control service in its functional area and my Department has no involvement in this process.  With regard to the Control of Dogs Act, the interpretation of the law is a matter for the Courts under the Constitution.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 448, 450, 504 and 505 together. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce 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....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The information requested on the monetary value of development contributions collected to date and not spent is not available in my Department. A planning authority may, when granting a permission under section 34, include conditions requiring the payment of a contribution in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting development in the area of the planning authority and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Cycling Facilities Provision (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The information requested is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: In line with the ‘bottom-up’ approach to rural development, there are 35 Local Action Groups (LAGs) contracted, on my Department’s behalf, to deliver the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP) throughout the country. The relevant LAG in respect of the project referred to is Mayo North East LEADER Partnership (MNELP). The LAGs are the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001.  The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. Under rates legislation the person liable...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Insurance Industry Regulation (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, among other things, addressed concerns which had arisen last year in relation to the insurability and legal consequences of the statutory certificates of compliance that will be required from 1 March 2014. My Department understands that the construction professional bodies representing the registered architects, surveyors and engineers are...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Compliance (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 456 to 458, inclusive, 476 and 501 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 148 of 19 February 2014 which sets out the position generally in relation to the matters raised. The position has not changed. In addition it is also worth noting that, in line with the arrangements for the registration of construction professionals under the Building Control...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Community Development Projects (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is the largest social inclusion intervention of its kind in the State. It superseded the Local Development Social Inclusion and the Community Development Programmes in 2010. It is a key tool of Government in providing employment supports, training, personal development/capacity building and other supports for the harder to reach in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Community Development Projects (25 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: My Department will continue to have engagement with key stakeholders regarding the development of a successor programme to the Local and Community Development Programme, a new LEADER Programme and working arrangements between LCDCs and partnership companies. Significant engagement with stakeholders has been undertaken to date and it is not correct that no such meetings have taken place...