Results 2,801-2,820 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley
- Written Answers — Local Authority Rates: Local Authority Rates (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and...
- Written Answers — Water Charges: Water Charges (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The Government's Water Pricing Policy, adopted in 1998, requires local authorities to recover the cost of providing water services from the users of these services, with the exception of households using the services for domestic purposes. Accordingly, when the Water Framework Directive was adopted in 2000, the established practice in Ireland was to exclude domestic users from water charges....
- Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 140, 280 and 286 together. Details of all major water schemes included for funding by my Department, together with water conservation allocations, are set out in the Water Services Investment Programme 2007 â 2009 which is available in the Oireachtas Library. Additional information in relation to progress on individual contracts or water conservation works...
- Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The EPA is responsible for compiling the national inventories of greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland and for reporting these to the European Union and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These inventories are compiled on an annual basis using the good practice guidelines established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The results become...
- Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: In response to the Programme for Government and National Climate Change Strategy commitments, my Department developed the principles of a scheme to offset greenhouse gas emissions from official air travel. The scheme operates on an annual basis and commenced in 2009. It will retrospectively account for all official air travel since the Government came into office in June 2007. All...
- Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2009, which is currently progressing through second stage in Seanad Ãireann, will address land use zoning reform through requiring an evidence-based core strategy in development plans which must provide information on how the plan and the housing strategy are consistent with regional planning guidelines and with the National Spatial Strategy....
- Written Answers — Register of Electors: Register of Electors (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The reply to Question No. 403 of 17 February 2009 set out the position in relation to postal voting under current electoral law. As I indicated in the reply to that Question, while electoral law is subject to ongoing review, there are no proposals to alter the existing arrangements along the lines referred to in the Question.
- Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: I am committed to implementing the measures necessary to ensure that Ireland meets the 2010, and subsequent, EU landfill diversion targets. The Government has decided to introduce primary legislation to allow significant increases in the landfill levy. In addition, I have initiated a public consultation on a statutory instrument which will require the source segregation and appropriate...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The table lists the number of permanent staff and temporary staff employed in each local authority as returned to my Department for the end of June 2009. The corresponding figures for June 2007 and June 2008 are included for comparative purposes. The table shows the change in staffing levels in each local authority over the period in question. Total numbers of permanent and temporary staff...
- Written Answers — Carbon Credits: Carbon Credits (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The National Climate Change Strategy signalled the possibility of supplementing greenhouse gas emission reductions with the purchase of up to 3.6 million carbon units on average each year in the five-year Kyoto Protocol commitment period 2008-2012 or 18 million units in total, costing â¬270m, at a projected unit price of â¬15. Under the Carbon Fund Act 2007, the National Treasury...
- Written Answers — Policy on Local Government: Policy on Local Government (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: Work on the White Paper on Local Government is well advanced; I expect that the White Paper will be published later this year following, inter alia, consideration of local government financing in light of the Report of the Commission on Taxation and in line with the commitments in the renewed Programme for Government.
- Written Answers — Contaminated Sites: Contaminated Sites (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The Government has considered the position in relation to the former Irish Steel/Ispat site at Haulbowline noting the outcome of the site investigations; the requirement for various works and further monitoring recommended by the environmental consultants; and the development issues, particularly technical constraints, site boundary issues, zoning issues and regulatory requirements, meriting...
- Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 265 and 290 together. The Nitrates Directive and Ireland's National Nitrates Action Programme are given legal effect by the consolidated European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2009. The objective of the Regulations is to protect ground and surface waters, including drinking water sources, primarily through...
- Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: In areas for which my Department has responsibility, the European Commission is currently in correspondence in respect of 31 cases relating to transposition and implementation of EU environmental legislation. My Department is working hard to resolve these cases as soon as possible. The Commission has not made an application to the European Court of Justice for an imposition of fines in any...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: Details of awards made to County and City managers under the Performance Awards Scheme for the Local Government Sector are contained in the annual reports of the Committee for Performance Awards (CPA) which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Awards are defined in terms of their distribution as a percentage of pay, the range of monetary values, and the number of recipients. The scheme...
- Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The Government has decided to broaden the revenue base of local authorities by introducing this charge on all non-principal private residences, including private rented accommodation, holiday homes and any other residential property that is not the owner's sole or main residence. The charge has been set at â¬200 per annum. The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, which sets out the detail...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Court Cases: Local Authority Court Cases (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The question of court cases and their associated financial implications is a matter for the individual local authorities concerned. My Department does not compile or hold information of the kind sought.
- Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The Attorney General sought and received, on my behalf, the contract for the Poolbeg incinerator from Dublin City Council earlier this year. I can confirm that an economist was hired to carry out an analysis of the contract for the purposes of informing pending legal advice by the Attorney General. The Attorney General has recommended that a further analysis be carried out by a financial...
- Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The primary purpose of the levy on plastic bags is not to generate revenue but to change consumer behaviour and maintain the significant reduction in the consumption of plastic bags, dispensed at retail outlets, that was achieved when the levy was first introduced in 2002. To this end, I am bringing forward legislation that will provide for greater flexibility in amending the level of charge...
- Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (14 Oct 2009)
John Gormley: The Athenry Sewerage Scheme is included for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007 â 2009. My Department awaits the submission of a revised Design Review Report for the scheme from Galway County Council. I understand that this revised report will take account of some interim improvement works being carried out by the Council at the existing Athenry wastewater...