Results 13,861-13,880 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Correspondence (12 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Government’s Action Programme for Effective Local Government sets out Government policy decisions in relation to a range of local government reform measures and the Local Government Reform Act 2014 provides the legislative basis for these measures. Specifically in relation to sub-county municipal governance, the 2014 Reform Act provides that all town councils will be dissolved and...

Government's Priorities for the Year Ahead: Statements (Resumed) (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: It is well documented that this Government inherited a basket case of economy and in the past three years we have made significant progress in addressing this. The previous Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government was an embarrassment nationally and internationally. In the last few months of its term of office Ministers did not even turn up to events at home and abroad. They threw in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: Following consideration of a report from me on the severe weather that affected Ireland in the period from mid-December 2013 to 6 January 2014, 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. €62 m of this will be for local authorities in the areas worst affected by severe weather to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: Waste collection is subject to compliance with applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, primarily the Waste Management Acts 1996 - 2013 and conditions attached to each waste collector’s collection permit issued under the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007. Waste collection in individual local authority areas may also be subject to local bye-laws,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Procurement Contracts (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group and assigned the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the metering programme and prepare for the transfer of water services functions from local authorities. These functions were transferred to Irish Water on 1 January 2014 in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Seniors Alert Scheme (13 Mar 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: Household Charge Collection (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provided the legislative basis for the Household Charge. The Local Government Management Agency administered the Household Charge system on a shared service/agency basis for all county and city councils in 2012. The following table, based on data provided by the Agency, details the amounts collected in respect of the Household Charge by local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Fund (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: I assume that the Question refers to general purpose grants from the Local Government Fund. General purpose grants are a contribution , from my Department, towards meeting the cost to local authorities of providing a reasonable level of services to their customers. The following table details the general purpose grant allocations from the Local Government Fund to all local authorities for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013. The primary purpose of the Act is to replace the system whereby a vehicle was declared off the road retrospectively with a system under which the vehicle must be declared off the road in advance. The Act provided for a three month transition period from 1 July 2013 to 30 September 2013 to allow vehicle owners to bring...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Funding (13 Mar 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 LAGs are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Community Development Initiatives (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: I met with representatives of the Irish Local Development Network on 6 March, 2014, one of a number of meetings I have had with the organisation. This is also part of a range of contacts with ILDN, both in the context of the Alignment Working Group and other engagements with my Department. At my meeting with ILDN representatives and at the Alignment Working Group meeting of the same date, we...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Development Companies Expenditure (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: In 2011 the relevant Local Development Company (LDC) approved grant aid of €372,392.17 for this project under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP). The project was subsequently deemed ineligible by my Department due to deficiencies in the tendering process. Following extensive discussions with the LDC, the local authority and within my Department, it...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Inspections (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 assigns responsibility to the EPA to make a National Inspection Plan for domestic wastewater treatment systems. The National Inspection Plan 2013: Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems was adopted and published by the EPA in February 2013. The Plan provides for a minimum of 1,000 inspections to be carried out by the water services authorities (which...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Priory Hall Development (13 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 174 of 6 March 2014 which deals with the estimated cost of acquiring certain units and refurbishing the entire complex at Priory Hall. The position is unchanged and it should be noted that the actual costs will ultimately be determined through the application of competitive public procurement procedures in line with standard arrangements. In accordance...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (25 Mar 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: Local Authority Funding (25 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: Following consideration of a report from me on the severe weather that affected Ireland in the period from mid-December 2013 to 6 January 2014, 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. €62 million of this will be for local authorities in the areas worst affected by severe weather...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Control Act (25 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Building Control Act 2007, provided , inter alia, for the protection of the use of certain professional titles, including the title of Architect, in order to protect consumers from unregistered persons passing themselves off as construction professionals. The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) is the designated registration body for the purposes of Part 3 of the Act. I...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Dormant Accounts Fund Administration (25 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take questions Nos. 640 to 642, inclusive, together. The Dormant Accounts Board was dissolved on 31 December 2012 and a new disbursement scheme was approved by Government in December 2013 in accordance with the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Act 2012. This was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on18 December 2013. The National Treasury Management Agency (“the...

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

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 647, 649, 666 and 667 together. 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 provided by it .  Irish Water will not collect charges from any households not connected to a public water...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management Issues (25 Mar 2014)

Phil Hogan: In line with the objectives of the national waste policy, A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, in terms of maximising the resource potential and minimising the disposal of our waste, the European Union (Household Food Waste and Bio-waste) Regulations 2013 are designed to promote the segregation and recovery of household food waste. The Regulations impose obligations on...