Results 2,021-2,040 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Seanad: Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: It is included. The section is just a definition and I have tried to define what is included.

Seanad: Pyrite Resolution Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I agree with the sentiment behind the amendments put forward by Senators Reilly and Darragh O'Brien. I remind them that there are established practices for chairpersons of statutory bodies to appear, upon request, before Oireachtas joint committees. It is also implicit that the chairperson will attend before the Oireachtas committee on the environment on receipt of a request from the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Collection (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provided the legislative basis for the Household Charge. Under the Act, an owner of a residential property on the liability date has been liable to pay the Household Charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver. It has been a matter for an owner of a residential property to determine liability and pay the Charge. The Local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013, replacing the system whereby vehicles were declared off the road retrospectively when next being taxed, with a procedure under which vehicles must now be declared off the road in advance. The Act provided for a three month transition period from 1 July to 30 September 2013 to allow vehicle owners to bring their motor tax...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electromagnetic Fields Studies (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 380 and 381 together. The issue of the potential health effects of electromagnetic fields was the subject of an Expert Group Report commissioned by the Government and published in March 2007. This Report, entitled Health Effects of Electromagnetic Fields, is available for download on my Department's website (). The Expert Group reported that the majority...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Remediation Programme Implementation (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The second stage of the Pyrite Resolution Bill, which provides for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board on a statutory basis and for the operation of the pyrite remediation scheme, was passed in the Seanad yesterday evening; the Committee and remaining stages of the Bill are scheduled to be taken in the Seanad later this evening with all stages of the Bill scheduled for debate in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Projects (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The project in question was selected for on the spot control as required under the EU Regulations governing the Rural Development Programme, and, as part of that control process, issues regarding non-compliance with public procurement were discovered. The project has been subject to the full appeals procedure within my Department and a reduction was applied to the eligible amount due to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Projects (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Eligibility Review Group under my Department’s Rural Development Programme examines eligibility issues upon request. I understand that such a request was made in this case and the case was deemed ineligible under the Programme’s Operating Rules.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government Act 1946 provides that where a property in a county council or urban local authority area is unoccupied on the date of the making of the rate the owner becomes liable for payment of rates. However, the owner is entitled to a 100% refund if the property is vacant for specified purposes. These are where the premises are unoccupied for the purpose of the execution of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I can confirm that the file for the project, which is at an initial stage in the overall approval process, has been submitted to my Department for assessment. I understand that a report on the project will be forwarded to Mayo North East LEADER Partnership within the coming days. Once any queries arising from that report have been addressed, the Evaluation Committee of Mayo North East LEADER...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Community Development Projects (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 396 together. The Local Government Bill 2013 provides, inter alia, for the establishment of Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) for the purpose of developing, co-ordinating and implementing a coherent, area-based approach to local and community development within each local authority administrative area. The approach and structure...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Service Issues (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: It is a statutory function of each individual fire authority, under Section 10 of the Fire Services Act 1981, to provide a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs, the provision of a premises and the making of such other provisions as it considers necessary or desirable. The Keeping Communities...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Decentralisation Programme Expenditure (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The headquarters of my Department is located in the Custom House, Dublin and decentralised offices are located in Wexford, Ballina and Tubbercurry. My Department also has a number of staff based in other regional locations due to the nature of their work, for example, those who work in the various inspectorates and in the local government audit service. Met Éireann’s...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Data (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 400 to 404, inclusive, together. The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009 broadened the revenue base of local authorities by introducing a charge on non-principal private residences. The self-assessed Charge is set at €200 per annum and liability for it falls, in the main, on owners of rental, holiday and vacant properties. It is a matter for an owner...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Issues (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government Act 2001 (Section 237A) Regulations 2003, provide, inter alia, for the supply of specified documentation to Oireachtas members by the local authority such as the local authority budget, draft development plan, etc. It is a matter for each local authority to deal with requests for access to information by a parliamentary representative as expeditiously as possible and in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Funding (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund, which has been in operation in Ireland since 1997, promotes sustainable development at a local level by assisting small-scale, non-profit environmental projects.  It helps to facilitate, at a local level, the achievement of the objectives of the Agenda 21 action plan on sustainable development. Projects are recommended for funding by...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authorities Management (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 407 and 410 together. Section 140 of the Local Government Act 2001 is not the mechanism to requisition a meeting of a local authority. This is provided for in paragraph 6 of Schedule 10 of the Act, which sets out the procedure for the Cathaoirleach to requisition a special meeting and for members of the authority to request the Cathaoirleach to requisition...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: It is a matter for each local authority, including Sligo County Council, to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which include adopting the annual budget...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Expenditure (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 118 and 119 of 14 November 2013 which sets out the position in relation to the annual budgetary process in respect of Sligo County Council. In relation to the assignment of staff, under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, it is a matter for the manager to make such staffing and organisational arrangements as may be necessary for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (17 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department recently completed a full review of expenditure under the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 in order to apportion the remaining funding among all the Local Development Companies contracted to deliver the Programme. As part of this exercise Cill Dara Ar Aghaidh was notified of its revised allocation of RDP funding for the remainder of the programming...