Results 14,021-14,040 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Seanad: Building Control (Carbon Monoxide Detection) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I regularly do this but Senator Norris obviously does not notice. Notwithstanding the merits of the Bill-----

Seanad: Building Control (Carbon Monoxide Detection) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: Not everything.

Seanad: Building Control (Carbon Monoxide Detection) Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I do not need praise every day. Notwithstanding the merits of the Bill and acknowledging that the provisions represent additional safeguards in any house in which heat-producing appliances are installed, I propose to bring forward several amendments on Committee Stage which, I believe, are necessary to improve the practical implementation of the provisions to achieve a more effective and...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Local Authority Functions (8 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I thank Senator Colm Burke for raising this matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline the position regarding customer services in local authorities. We need a local government service that represents its citizens and communities efficiently and effectively and provides access to the services people need in the most efficient and user friendly manner. Local authorities have an...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Local Authority Functions (8 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I will take that on board. Not only that, I will be putting in place a national oversight commission to ensure the key performance indicators, in addition to customer service indicators and customer charters, are included as part of any regulations I will sign in the implementation of the Local Government Act 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Funding (9 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: The establishment of Irish Water in 2013 was 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 metering programme. Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE) had...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (9 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: In February 2013, the Local Action Group (LAG) in question submitted a claim in respect of the project referred to. This claim was selected by my Department’s Inspection Services Section for a pre-payment inspection and was subsequently deemed ineligible on a number of grounds. A formal letter of findings was issued to all parties on 17 April 2013 detailing the findings and advising...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (9 Apr 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 provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (9 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: Motor tax is payable on an annual, half-yearly or quarterly basis. The Finance (Excise Duties) (Vehicles) Act 1952 provides that the rate of duty for a quarterly tax disc must not exceed 30% of the annual duty applicable and sets no upper limit for a half-yearly disc. The rates of duty currently applicable to the quarterly and half-yearly discs are 28.25% and 55.5% of the annual rate,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Reports (9 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I expect the Report of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas to be published within the next week. Once published the report will be available on my Department’s website, and the website of the Commission,.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment Facilities Inspections (9 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 assigns responsibility to the Environmental Protection Agency ( 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...

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014: Order for Second Stage (10 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage (10 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014 is a short but important Bill. It provides for the repeal of the bankruptcy disqualifications for election to and membership of the Dáil and the European Parliament. The bankruptcy disqualification has been in place in Ireland since 1923 and it was there before that under the Westminster...

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: Which party is the Deputy with?

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I thank Deputies for their contributions to the debate on this short but important Bill. I will not go into the details of matters concerning other items of legislation, on which people got some latitude, but I note what Deputy Maloney has just said. One never knows. We could have been on the same side of the argument but there are circumstances in which we have to look at matters legally...

Electoral (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: Next week.

Topical Issue Debate: Suicide Incidence (10 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue for discussion. I am taking it on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly. I welcome the national action to address child intentional injury 2014 report of the European Child Safety Alliance, published in late March. The report which examines the policy measures in place to address intentional injury to children in...

Topical Issue Debate: Suicide Incidence (10 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am conscious of the important work Deputy Neville and others have been doing over the years in regard to this important issue. I assure him that the recently published report from the European Child Safety Alliance, National Action to Address Child Intentional Injury, is another opportunity for us to focus on the measures the Government is taking and how it can do more to ensure all of...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Government Fund (10 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline for the House today the importance of motor tax revenue in supporting local government in general and particularly in providing funding in respect of the local and regional road network. The estimated income to the local government fund in 2014, as set out in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2014, published by the...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Government Fund (10 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I am surprised the Deputy did not mention the major changes we made in the Local Government Act, which will put a considerable focus on locally elected members and ensure they will have to stand up and be counted and take responsibility for all the budgets they adopt. When local authorities receive block grants from the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport it is a matter for them to see...