Results 2,761-2,780 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: The 15 cent levy on plastic bags, as provided for in the Waste Management (Environmental Levy) (Plastic Bag) Regulations 2001, has led to a dramatic reduction in use of plastic bags with a consequent positive environmental benefit. Plastic shopping bags accounted for 5% of litter arisings prior to the introduction of the levy, but for just 0.22% of litter arisings in 2004. There has been an...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: There has been a growing trend in urban areas towards the development of sites adjacent to existing residences. This is understandable given that such development perhaps allows people to reside in the communities in which they were reared and, also, reflects the increased value of such sites. It is also attractive in terms of allowing access to existing community infrastructure, such as...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Under the Waste Management Acts statutory responsibility for waste management planning rests with the relevant local authorities, typically acting in regional groupings. My Department's National Overview of Waste Management Plans (July 2004) identified significant progress in regard to the implementation of these plans. Subsequently, these plans have been reviewed by the local authorities...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: The Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments is empowered by relevant Oireachtas resolutions to carry out such preliminary investigations in private, as it thinks fit. My Department has co-operated with all requests by the Tribunal to make files available. However, it would not be appropriate to disclose details of material provided in this way to the Tribunal, on a...

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 154 together. In accordance with its Environmental Policy Statement, my Department is fully committed to the effective management of our consumption of water and energy resources. This is a critical element of our ongoing accreditation to ISO 14001:1996 which we achieved for our headquarters offices in 2003. We are working towards achieving this...

Written Answers — Electronic Voting: Electronic Voting (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Question Nos. 130, 155, 156 and 214 together. The Commission on Electronic Voting concluded in its Second Report on the Secrecy, Accuracy and Testing of the Chosen Electronic Voting System, which was published on 4 July 2006, that it can recommend the voting and counting equipment for use at elections in Ireland, subject to further work it has recommended. The Commission...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Article 9 of European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste provides that packaging may not be placed on the market within the European Union unless it satisfies the provisions of the Directive. Annex II of the Directive explicitly provides that packaging shall be designed, produced and placed on the market in such a way as to permit its reuse or...

Written Answers — Register of Electors: Register of Electors (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: In law, the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. In April 2006, I announced a package of measures to assist local authorities in their work on preparing the 2007/8 Register, which included the use of...

Written Answers — Electoral Divisions: Electoral Divisions (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 204 together. Following the publication by the Central Statistics Office of the Preliminary Report on Census 2006, I sought the advice of the Attorney General in relation to census results and constituency boundaries. The Attorney has advised that constituencies can only be revised on the basis of the final Census figures. The preliminary figures...

Written Answers — Local Electoral Areas: Local Electoral Areas (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: The current local electoral areas of each county council derive from the Electoral Area Boundary Committee Reports of 1998. The 2004 local elections took place on the basis of the existing local electoral areas. The next local elections are due to take place in 2009. Consideration can be given to reviewing local electoral areas in light of the final 2006 Census results when they become...

Written Answers — Public Procurement Policy: Public Procurement Policy (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Substantial progress has been made by my Department in implementing the recommendations regarding procurement contained in the Quigley Report. Procurement guidelines and practices in the Department have been reviewed and a set of consolidated guidelines was circulated to all staff. In addition, revised procedures have been put in place to strengthen monitoring and control of procurement and...

Written Answers — Architectural Heritage: Architectural Heritage (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: A reallocation of expenditures within my Department's Built Heritage Programme 2006 was recently carried out. This allowed me to announce the following further funding for certain initiatives within my Departments' Built Heritage Capital Programme: Heritage Council €1,650,000; Waterford City Walls €260,000; and Local Authority Conservation Grants Scheme €1,067,000. The additional...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: I have no immediate plans to amend the Building Regulations to require the installation of heat recovery ventilation systems in new dwellings. However, this option may be considered in the context of a future review of the building code.

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department's legislative proposals are included in the Government Legislation Programme Autumn Session 2006, copies of which have been sent to each member of the Oireachtas.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: The Planning and Development Act 2000 gives planning authorities a range of powers to ensure the sustainable development of their administrative areas through the local development plan and when considering specific planning applications. The main instrument for the sustainable development of the local area is the city or county development plan, which has to be renewed every 6 years. I...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: As stated in reply to Question No. 49 of 29 November 2005, statistics for emissions of carbon dioxide from specific categories of motor vehicles are not available, as emissions are calculated on the basis of fuel sold, rather than vehicle type. Emissions from the transport sector in 2004 totalled 12.58 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, equivalent to 18% of total national emissions in 2004....

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: In 2001, my Department initiated a process of reviewing the speech writing function in the Department. This process was organised and managed by my Department with the assistance of a communications company. A report was subsequently prepared which contained a number of recommendations in relation to refreshing the approach to speech writing in the Department. The recommendations were made...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 316 of 28 September 2006.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 149 and 161 together. I am satisfied that Ireland's policies in relation to water services, including the exemption of householders from water charges, are consistent with the EU Water Framework Directive. Therefore the issue of metering new homes generally or retrofitting existing homes does not arise now or by 2010. The charging policies of the Water...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (4 Oct 2006)

Dick Roche: Land exchanges under the Affordable Housing Initiative are subject to a public tendering process which involves a range of rigorous assessments and evaluations. In advance of tendering each site, a feasibility report is prepared in order to examine the options available for leveraging the site for the Initiative and recommend the most appropriate course. In the event that the feasibility...