Results 1,961-1,980 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: The lower Liffey Valley sewerage scheme has been approved for construction in my Department's water services investment programme 2004-2006 at an estimated cost of €30 million. The scheme provides for sewer rehabilitation works at Mill Lane, Leixlip. Kildare County Council's contract documents for the scheme are under examination in my Department and are being dealt with as quickly as...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: The Milltown sewerage scheme was 15th in the list of water and sewerage schemes submitted by Kildare County Council in response to my Department's request to all local authorities to undertake fresh assessments of the needs for capital works in their areas and to prioritise their proposals on the basis of the assessments. The assessments were taken into account in the framing of the water...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 1386 of 28 September 2005.

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I do not consider such a prohibition to be warranted at present. However, the position is being kept under review. My Department, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture and Food, is considering possible additional measures that may need to be taken should the virus reach western Europe, including limiting or stopping the hunting of wild birds. The timing and scale of any such...

Written Answers — Natural Heritage Areas: Natural Heritage Areas (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I assume that the question refers to the publication in March 2005 by the European Commission of details of the contribution of each member state towards a network of ecologically important areas, the Natura 2000 network, within the European Union. In December 2004, the Commission adopted national lists of candidate special areas of conservation as sites of Community importance in accordance...

Order of Business. (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I have not made a single announcement yet. Deputy Kenny will be the first to know. I will give him a copy.

Order of Business. (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: There are more buses on the road than when the Opposition was in power.

Job Losses. (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue and apologise on behalf of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, who unfortunately cannot be present. The Minister has asked me to say how concerned he is that Seafield Technical Textiles Limited has announced that owing to adverse trading conditions, it has become necessary to cease trading with the loss of 38 jobs. He is...

Job Losses. (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: On behalf of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, I assure the House that the State development agencies, including the local county enterprise board, under the auspices of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, will continue to work closely together and with local interests in promoting Youghal and the surrounding area for further job creation and...

Social Welfare Benefits. (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. It is an interesting case and as he stated no fraud was intended on the part of the 237 households. However, because of a glitch they were effectively receiving a double allowance for the same purpose. The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are in receipt of long-term social welfare or Health Service Executive payments...

Social Welfare Benefits. (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: In other cases it has happened and from the taxpayer's point of view the Deputy understands why that is. There was no fraud by any of these people. As a long-standing policy within the scheme, fuel allowance is not payable to those who are able to provide for their heating needs from their own resources, for example, if they have access to their own fuel supply or benefit from a subsidised...

Electoral System. (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I thank Deputy O'Malley for raising the issue and I assure her that being an ex-Government backbencher is even more frustrating than being a backbencher. I say that as one who has suffered that ignominious situation, when the people of Wicklow turned the other way once. I welcome the report of the Democracy Commission. The report, entitled Engaging Citizens, is the culmination of over two...

Electoral System. (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: Indeed, shame on them. The reality is that it was an exercise in real politics and the cynics who often criticise politicians castigated that practice but the situation has worsened since it ended. There is a collective responsibility on us all as individual citizens to check the register and make sure our details are correct. There is also a clear role for public representatives to promote...

Written Answers — Regional Road Network: Regional Road Network (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: The provision and improvement of non-national roads in County Kerry is a matter for Kerry County Council to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State grants. In August this year, my Department sought applications from road authorities for funding under the 2006 EU co-financed specific improvements grant scheme. The initial selection of projects to be submitted for consideration...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: The detailed information sought is not available in my Department. National waste statistics for all waste streams are published at three-yearly intervals by the Environmental Protection Agency with the most recent national waste database report being in respect of 2001. In the intervening period, two further interim reports have been published to provide data on municipal waste specifically,...

Written Answers — Foreign Travel: Foreign Travel (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: Since my appointment as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in September 2004 I have attended two conferences abroad as set out in the following table. Conferences listed prior to December 2004 were attended by my predecessor in this post, Deputy Cullen. Date Destination Number accompanying Minister Conference Title 13 December-18 December 2004 Buenos Aires 6...

Written Answers — Rural and Urban Renewal Schemes: Rural and Urban Renewal Schemes (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: A strategy document prepared by Kildare County Council proposes extensive works at main street, Clane. The proposed works include significant improvements to footpaths, the under grounding of overhead cables, together with soft landscaping. These works are due to be carried out in 2006 under the urban and village renewal measure of the southern and eastern regional operational programme,...

Written Answers — Rural and Urban Renewal Schemes: Rural and Urban Renewal Schemes (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: A strategy document prepared by Kildare County Council proposes extensive works at The Square, Kilcock. The proposed works include significant improvements to footpaths and pedestrian areas, together with soft landscaping and provision of street furniture. These works are due to be carried out in 2006 under the urban and village renewal measure of the southern and eastern regional operational...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 279 to 281, inclusive, together. The guidelines for planning authorities on sustainable rural housing came into effect on 13 April 2005. They provide that reasonable proposals on suitable sites in rural areas for persons who are part of, contribute to or have links with the rural community must be accommodated. The guidelines thus affirm a presumption in...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (26 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 282 and 283 together. The latest figures collated by my Department show that 64 local authority civic amenity sites were in operation throughout the country at the end of 2004 and a further five have opened to date during 2005. Some 34 of these civic amenity sites have been part funded through the waste infrastructure capital grants scheme, which is designed...