Results 2,221-2,240 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local and Community Development Programme Planning (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Arising from Putting People First – Action Programme for Effective Local Government, new governance arrangements will come into effect in relation to local and community development programming. Local Community Development Committees will be established in each local authority area to have oversight and planning responsibility for local development and community related funding on an...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 161, 162 and 165 together. The overall strategy of investment in water services to date has been to ensure that the timing and scale of investment facilitates economic and other development, achieves compliance with statutory requirements and promotes environmental sustainability objectives. The main vehicle for achieving these objectives for p ublic...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Negotiations (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No.9 on today’s Order Paper, which sets put the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management Issues (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I have not proposed the introduction of any “green charges”. At the Waste Summit on 28 November 2013, I launched a number of important policy developments for the waste area in line with commitments set out in Government’s national waste policy, A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland. I announced public consultation processes on two further...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Recruitment (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The selection and appointment of a County or City Manager is governed by primary legislation, including the Local Government Act 2001. Managers are selected following open competition conducted by the Public Appointments Service.  I understand that the Public Appointments Service has initiated the recruitment process to replace the Fingal County Manager.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Taxation is primarily a matter for the Minister for Finance. The purpose of the carbon tax, which was introduced in Budget 2010, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by incentivising companies to bring low-carbon products and services to the market. Generally, reducing greenhouse gas emissions will also reduce air pollution, although this is not always the case; for example, the increased...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Elections Expenditure (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 156 and 157 together. Provision is made in Part 2 of Schedule 2 of the Local Government Bill 2013 for amendments to the Local Elections (Disclosure of Donations and Expenditure) Act 1999, ‘the 1999 Act’, to change the spending limit provisions at local elections. This Bill is currently before the Oireachtas. Spending limits were first...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: No fines or penalties have ever been imposed on Ireland in respect of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, as non-compliance has never arisen. In this regard, Ireland is on course to confirm compliance with its target for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the commitment period 2008 to 2012. In respect of the ambitious...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management Regulations (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Waste Management (Prohibition of Waste Disposal by Burning) Regulations 2009 make it an offence to dispose of waste by uncontrolled burning and various actions are prohibited by the regulations, including burning within the curtilage of a dwelling. Article 5 of the Regulations provides for the permissible disposal of waste by burning under certain conditions, including, inter alia, where...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Disposal (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: As set out in the Government’s policy on waste, A Resource Opportunity, an effective system of household waste collection is critical to the economy and the well-being of society. On 28 November, I published a consultation document on the regulation of household waste collection to guide the development of a new regulatory regime to strengthen and improve the regulation of household...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (5 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: North and East Kerry Leader Partnership are contracted on behalf of my Department in relation to the implementation of the LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. During 2011, the European Commission approved a change in the maximum co-funding rate from 55% to 85% in relation to LEADER. This had the effect of reducing the available funding under the Programme from...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: There is just one other issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: There is one other issue from the discussion so far. We have some producer-responsibility initiatives and I announced the public consultation process for two of them in recent times. One was for tyres. In a rural constituency, like the Vice Chairman's and mine, they are not all in silage pits. If we could find the 50% of them that go missing it would be a big help to the environment....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Its representatives might be able to meet my officials and explore the matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Our new initiative will be of help to that company, I presume.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I never mentioned Tipperary at all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I will ask my colleague from the heritage section to deal with some issues in private session shortly. Whenever there is a big issue such as the ash disease interdepartmental co-operation should happen at all times - I hope it does happen. I accept that issues relating to air quality bring about the spread of this particular disease. We will certainly be glad to take up the Vice...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: We will have to go into private session if the Vice Chairman wants to hear more about the zebra mussel.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Assuming I get approval from Government, I expect to be in a position to publish the Bill by Easter 2014.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: We paid €2.7 million in fines to the EU arising because of our inactivity in registering septic tanks. That would have been unnecessary if action had been taken earlier. That was a lower figure than was being highlighted to us by the Commission earlier in the process. Within weeks of becoming Minister, I dealt with that issue but it was a little late in the day from the point of...