Results 2,241-2,260 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

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: Absolutely. I have no problem with that. I take expert views from all sources. The fact that I have taken on board reasonable suggestions shows how valuable the work of the committee is. The Deputy stated that she wanted the committee set up on the same basis as the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and I have no difficulty with that.

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: The committee will not find me wanting on that issue. Many producer responsibility, PRI, reviews are ongoing across many waste streams. We conducted one recently on packaging and I refer members to this on our website. They can examine it and make recommendations in the context of implementation. However, I am not proceeding with a packaging levy. There are ways to deal with this 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: I will have to ask my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, to help us on that.

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: On the plastic bags issue, we are conscious that the ambition with which this country led the way must not be thwarted by some of the unintended consequences of what might be proposed. Several years ago we were all discussing the huge opportunities for Ireland in biofuel production. The discussion appears to have gone quiet in recent times because of issues relating to profitability. An...

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 have reduced infringements from 19 to ten. This includes issues like environmental impact assessments of farms and septic tanks. We were fined up to €5 million in respect of those two issues and paid those fines. Those cases are now closed so there will be no further activity on those files. We are working through others which are at various levels of development with the...

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 thank the Vice Chairman for the invitation to meet the committee today to discuss the agenda for the next meeting of the EU Environment Council, which takes place on the 13 December in Brussels. As this is my first appearance before the committee on EU matters since Ireland held the Presidency of the EU, I take this opportunity to touch briefly on achievements in the area of environment...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety Issues (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: nLocal authorities have extensive powers of inspection and enforcement under the Fire Safety Act 1981, the Building Control Act 1990 and the Planning and Development Acts, all of which may be relevant in relation to fire safety arrangements in apartment buildings. Authorities have used such powers on a number of occasions, including in relation to instances of non-compliance which arose in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Seniors Alert Scheme (4 Dec 2013)

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: Leader Programmes Funding (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 111 together. In May 2013 all Local Development Companies were advised of their revised allocations under the Axis 3 and 4 elements of the Rural Development Programme (RDP). The overall value of th ose e lements of the R DP is currently €370m and of that up to 20% can be spent on administration costs leaving a minimum of €296 million...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 represented the most significant legislative reform in the private rented sector in over a century. The Act provided real security of tenure for tenants in the private rented sector for the first time and, inter alia , provided access for both tenants and landlords to an inexpensive, informal and independent dispute resolution process operated by the Private...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (4 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in South Tipperary. The Burncourt & Fethard Regional Water Supply Scheme Water Treatment Plants Contract is included among the contracts to commence during the lifetime of the Programme, with further contracts for Burncourt and Fethard...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government will be given new responsibility in the area of housing and the money will come with it. It is difficult enough to streamline the work to be done in this area between the Departments of Social Protection and the Environment, Community and Local Government and it will require primary legislation. These are technical drafting...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I move amendment No. 190: In page 184, line 22, to delete “subparagraph (4), a reference to” and substitute “subparagraph (2), a reference to terms and”.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I move amendment No. 191: In page 184, to delete lines 38 and 39, in page 185, to delete lines 1 and 2 and substitute the following:“(5) Any superannuation benefits awarded to or in respect of a person transferred in accordance with this paragraph, and the terms and conditions relating to those benefits, shall be no less favourable than those applicable to or in respect of the person...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I move amendment No. 192: In page 187, line 34, to delete “officer” and substitute “employee”.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I move amendment No. 193: In page 189, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following:“Continuation of housing allocation schemes.16. An allocation scheme made under section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 by a dissolved authority to which section 17 relates that is in force immediately before the 2014 establishment date shall—(a) be deemed to have been...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I move amendment No. 194: In page 189, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following:“Register of electors.17. With effect from the relevant day or date and until the next following register of electors comes into force—(a) the register of electors in force for the Limerick registration area shall be the register of electors for Limerick City and County, (b) the register of...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I move amendment No. 195: In page 189, line 36, to delete “which” and substitute “in”.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I move amendment No. 197: In page 9, line 22, after “matters” where it firstly occurs to insert “, to amend section 20 of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Act 1997”.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Chairman and members of the select sub-committee for the manner in which we have dealt with this important legislation, the Local Government Bill 2013. In particular, I thank the main Opposition spokespersons, Deputies Barry Cowen, Catherine Murphy and Brian Stanley, for their constructive engagement in these matters. We have a number of pieces of unfinished business before...