Results 2,641-2,660 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Recreational Facilities: Recreational Facilities (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Our planning framework takes extensive account of the needs of children and, in particular, the provision of recreational facilities and child care. At national and regional levels, the National Spatial Strategy and Regional Planning Guidelines identify improved social, amenity and cultural infrastructure as being key to achieving the objective of improving quality of life and providing...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 693 and 694 together. I met with the Gort Regional Alliance for Community and Environment during a visit to Galway on 6 June last. One of the issues raised was the access to Gort from the proposed new N18 by-pass. The access road to Gort town from the proposed by-pass would be a national road and accordingly responsibility would be a matter for Galway County...

Written Answers — Control of Dogs: Control of Dogs (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: The Control of Dogs Regulations 1998 place controls on the following ten breeds of dogs: American Pit Bull Terrier; English Bull Terrier; Staffordshire Bull Terrier; Bull Mastiff; Doberman Pinscher; German Shepherd (Alsatian); Rhodesian Ridgeback; Rottweiler; Japanese Akita; Japanese Tosa and to every dog of the type commonly known as a Ban Dog (or Bandog). The controls, which must be...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Section 33 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides that regulations regarding applications for planning permission may be made requiring, inter alia, that planning authorities must notify prescribed bodies of the receipt of applications for certain classes of development. Article 28 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 lists the bodies prescribed for this purpose, and...

Written Answers — Polling Stations: Polling Stations (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Under the Electoral Act 1992, the selection of buildings to be used as polling stations at an election or referendum is a matter for the returning officer. The Electoral (Amendment) Act 1996 provides that local authorities, in making polling schemes, shall endeavour to appoint polling places which allow the returning officer to provide at each place at least one polling station that is...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: The Gweedore Sewerage Scheme is being advanced in conjunction with the Letterkenny Sewerage Scheme and both schemes have been approved for funding under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007. My Department is awaiting Donegal County Council's updated Tender Documents for the combined project.

Written Answers — Litter Pollution: Litter Pollution (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Local authorities submit data to my Department every six months on their anti-litter enforcement actions under the Litter Pollution Acts. These statistics are available in the Oireachtas Library and show that local authority performance on enforcement of the litter laws is being sustained at a high level. In recent years, more litter wardens have been employed and there has been a...

Written Answers — National Parks: National Parks (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: There are currently 25 staff employed in Wicklow National Park as shown in the following table. The positions of Divisional Manager, Regional Manager, District Conservation Officer, Head Conservation Ranger and General Operatives also carry responsibilities beyond the management of the Park. Grade Number Serving Divisional Manager 1 Regional Manager 1 District Conservation Officer 1...

Written Answers — Recreational Facilities: Recreational Facilities (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department has not received any application for funding from Dublin City Council for the specific development of playground facilities at Willie Pearse Park, Crumlin. Ready, Steady Play: A National Play Policy, which was published in 2004, provides a framework for the development of public play facilities in Ireland, with the overall aim of ensuring that children have access to a range of...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department meets the costs of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments. As of 20 October 2006, the total amount of legal fees paid was €38,133,741.94. This represents 64.3% of overall expenditure on the Tribunal to that date. Annual expenditure on legal fees from 1997 to 2006 was as follows.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 573 of 17 October 2006. As outlined in the most recent progress report (September 2006) of the Decentralisation Implementation Group, the indicative timescale for completion of my Department's headquarters in Wexford is the third quarter of 2008 while that for New Ross is the last quarter of 2009; the indicative dates in June 2005 for these locations were...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department operates a recycling and recovery capital grants scheme which has contributed significantly to the delivery by local authorities of much enhanced recycling and recovery facilities; these enable the public to increase recycling rates and maximise the value of the recyclable materials. The following table lists the numbers of local authority Civic Amenity Sites and Bring Banks. In...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Information provided by the Returning Officer for the Wexford constituency indicates that storage costs in respect of the electronic voting machines and ancillary equipment are: €19,799 (2003/4 — lease began in October 2003); €17,170 (2005); and €17,050 (to date in 2006). Payments to Returning Officers in respect of their electoral duties are made by the Department of Finance from the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: The improvement and maintenance of non-national roads in County Wexford is a matter for Wexford County Council to be financed from its own resources supplemented by State road grants provided by my Department. Details of the total non-national road grant payments from my Department to Wexford County Council from 2000 to 2005 and the initial 2006 allocation are set out in the following table:...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (24 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 707 and 708 together. The status of 17 persons has changed in this regard since they commenced employment in my Department. In so far as the recruitment of persons with disabilities is concerned, I refer to the reply to Question No. 578 of 7 March 2006.

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (19 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: The May 2006 edition of Technical Guidance L (Conservation of Fuel and Energy) contains advice on how new dwellings should be constructed, and existing dwellings reconstructed, to comply with building energy performance standards mandated by Part L of the Building Regulations. This guidance is also produced on the Department's website: www.environ.ie. Advisory information on how...

Written Answers — Motor Taxation: Motor Taxation (19 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: The National Vehicle and Driver File database (NVDF) is a record of "keepers" of vehicles and not legally entitled owners. This principle is reflected in motor tax law where responsibility for taxing a vehicle rests with its "keeper". Section 60 of the Finance Act 1993 enables the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to determine the content of records on the NVDF....

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (19 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Section 19(3) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 states that the Minister may provide in regulations that local area plans shall be prepared in respect of certain classes of area or in certain circumstances and a planning authority shall comply with any such regulations. No such regulations have been made. There are however, no specific powers of intervention assigned to the Minister...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (19 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: The circumstances where a search and retrieval fee for a freedom of information request may be waived are set out in Sections 47(5) and (6) of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and are as follows: where the records refer to an issue of national importance and the release of the record would assist in the understanding of this issue, or where the administration cost involved in processing a...

Written Answers — Natural Heritage Areas: Natural Heritage Areas (19 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Conservation work on the monuments on Skellig Michael began in the late 1970s. The work now being undertaken on the South Peak by the Office of Public Works in conjunction with my Department is a continuation of a long term programme. The primary focus of the works in relation to the monastic remains on the South Peak is preserving and securing these remains from a real danger of further...