Results 2,441-2,460 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The Kiltormer Sewerage Scheme has been ranked as twenty second priority by Galway County Council in the list of sewerage schemes submitted by the Council in response to my Department's request to local authorities earlier this year 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 priorities...

Written Answers — Nuclear Safety: Nuclear Safety (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 160 of 4 October 2006. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — National Disability Strategy: National Disability Strategy (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: As required under the Disability Act 2005, my Department's sectoral plan was approved by the Houses of the Oireachtas on 18 October 2006. The plan, covering my Department, its partner bodies and local authorities, sets out national objectives and guidelines for access to public buildings, services, amenities, and information, as well as to heritage sites and other facilities. The plan...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 53, 85 and 89 together. I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 4 and 5 on today's Order Paper.

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: Since 1995 national waste statistics in respect of all waste streams have been published at three-yearly intervals by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the most recent National Waste Report being in respect of 2004. Between 2001 and 2004, two interim database reports were published to provide data on municipal waste specifically (i.e. household and commercial waste) for the...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The Building Regulations lay down performance-based standards, and do not either mandate or prohibit the use of specific construction products or systems. Various competing products or systems demonstrating compliance with the regulations may lawfully be used; and the choice is left to the designers, builders and the market. The broadly based Building Regulations Advisory Body (BRAB)...

Written Answers — Local Authority Services: Local Authority Services (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The next report on local authority service indicators, which will be in respect of 2006, is due to be published by the Local Government Management Services Board (LGMSB) in July 2007. The first two such reports were published in mid 2005 and 2006 respectively, and copies are available in the Oireachtas library. I have asked the Local Government Customer Services Group, which drew up the...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 101 together. Following the publication by the Central Statistics Office of the Preliminary Report on Census 2006, I sought the advice of the Attorney General on 21 July 2006 in relation to census results and constituency boundaries. The Attorney subsequently advised that constituencies can only be revised on the basis of the final Census figures. My...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The determination of waste management infrastructure requirements is a matter for local authorities in the context of the regional waste management plans for which they have statutory responsibility under the Waste Management Acts. My Department operates a capital grants scheme in support of certain recycling infrastructure and it is a matter for the local authorities concerned to seek such...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The Code of Conduct for Local Authority Employees was published in June 2004 under Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001. Arising from a review of the Code and following consultations with the Standards in Public Office Commission, the Minister for Finance and staff interests, I recently amended Section 10 of the Code. Under the amendment, local authority employees must inform the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: Under the Government's decentralisation programme all Dublin based operations of my Department are being decentralised, with the exception of Met Éireann, ENFO, the Private Rented Tenancies Board and a small co-ordination section which it is proposed to retain in Dublin to assist with the Department's Dáil and other business. The programme involves the relocation of my Department's...

Written Answers — Nuclear Safety: Nuclear Safety (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: In my reply to Questions Nos. 194 and 217 of 4 October 2006, I said I would shortly be meeting the UK Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Mr. Alistair Darling regarding the Irish Government's concerns about the outcome of the UK Energy Review. This meeting is due to take place on 9 January 2007. As I also stated in my reply to those two Questions, Ireland's concerns about any...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: Ireland signed the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters on 25 June 1998. Progress towards ratification of the Convention is closely aligned with work at EU level. To date, the European Union has adopted two Directives as part of the ratification process for the Convention. These deal with public...

Written Answers — Local Government Act 2001: Local Government Act 2001 (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The Local Government Act 2001 modernises the legislative framework for local government, supports community involvement with local authorities in a more participative local democracy and underpins generally the programme of local government renewal. The Act is being brought into operation on a phased basis and 213 of its 247 sections have so far been commenced. The following table identifies...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The European Commission is currently in correspondence with my Department in respect of 35 cases relating to possible infringements of EU environmental legislation for which my Department is responsible. This compares to 53 such cases at the end of October 2005. This considerable improvement illustrates the positive outcomes from my intensive efforts to resolve issues in dialogue with the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Services: Local Authority Services (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 202 to 206 of 26 October 2006. Section 67 and Schedule 13 of the Local Government Act, 2001 empower local authorities to take such measures, engage in such activities or do such things as they consider necessary to promote the interests of the local community. This includes general recreational and leisure activities such as the provision of parks,...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: A Joint Industry Taskforce, comprising the Regional Newspapers Association of Ireland (RNAI), Irish Retail Newsagents Association (IRNA), Newspread and Eason Wholesale Ltd, and co-ordinated by National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) was established and has been engaged in negotiations with my Department. The aim of these discussions with the stakeholders, which are continuing, is to develop a...

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: Recycling is a significant element of the Government's overall integrated policy framework on waste management — which is based on the internationally recognised waste hierarchy — prioritising waste prevention, minimisation, reuse, recycling, energy recovery and the environmentally sound disposal of residual waste which cannot be recycled or recovered. This significant emphasis on...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 344 together. Government policy on the control and regulation of numbers in the public sector, including local authorities, was announced in the Minister for Finance's Budget statement of 7 December 2005. I am continuing to keep the overall employment position in the sector under regular review, having regard to the need to deliver quality front line...

Written Answers — Sustainable Development Strategy: Sustainable Development Strategy (8 Nov 2006)

Dick Roche: The Ten Year Framework Social Partnership Agreement, Towards 2016, includes a commitment to publishing a renewed National Sustainable Development Strategy by mid 2007. Ireland's first sustainable development strategy, Sustainable Development — A Strategy for Ireland was published in 1997. A review of the Strategy, Making Ireland's Development Sustainable, was published in 2002, ahead of the...