Results 281-300 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Staff Data (12 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: My Department manages its existing staffing resources in line with approved staffing and budget levels, through internal staff assignments and redeployment, limited recruitment and the streamlining of business areas to ensure optimum staffing to meet priority business needs. The Government moratorium on recruitment and promotion restricts the filling of public service posts by recruitment,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Compliance (12 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 155 together. In accordance with the Derelict Sites Act 1990 and the Local Government Acts, owners have a statutory responsibility to make sure that their property does not become derelict or contain any dangerous structure. If it does, an owner must take steps to remedy the situation and may otherwise be liable for prosecution by the relevant local...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (11 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 came into effect on 1 July 2013, with the purpose of replacing the system whereby a vehicle was declared off the road retrospectively with a system under which the vehicle must be declared off the road in advance. The provision for retrospective declarations had become a means of evasion of motor tax. The new arrangements have been fully in force...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Dormant Accounts Fund Deposits (11 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: Since its establishment in April 2003 to the end of March 2014, the transfers to the Dormant Accounts Fund have totalled some €729.76m. Funds reclaimed in that period by account holders amounted to around €281.02m, with just over €252m disbursed on projects designed to benefit the community over the same period. The net value of uncommitted funds in the account stands at...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (11 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 108 and 109 together. A potential problem with concrete blocks in the Leinster region was signalled to my Department in early April 2014. Concurrently the relevant market surveillance authority (local authority) in the jurisdiction where the concrete blocks were manufactured was also made aware of the matter. Under Regulation (EU) No . 305/2011...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (11 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: The report of the independent Pyrite Panel (2012) recommended inter alia, that in light of the knowledge and experience gained since 2007 when the problem of pyrite was first brought to the attention of my Department, a more detailed and specific testing, certification and traceability regime should be put in place for hardcore material to be used in dwellings and buildings . Following...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Political Funding (11 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: Sections 41 and 42 of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012 inserted a new Part IX into the Electoral Act 1997. This places a requirement on political parties to prepare and submit an audited statement of accounts annually to the Standards in Public Office Commission for publication. The Act provides that the accounts be based on guidelines published by the Commission....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (11 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it.  Households not connected to a public sewer will therefore not be liable for charges for waste water treatment. Where a household is connected to a public water supply but is not connected to a public sewer, the household will only pay for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Reform (11 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: My Department held a public consultation on the control of postering for elections and referenda in Autumn 2008. Following on from this, a number of measures, including restricting the number of posters per candidate and the display of posters in designated areas only, were pilot-tested during the 2009 Local and European Elections. Local authorities were also canvassed for their views on...

Topical Issue Debate: Register of Electors Administration (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: I thank Deputy McLoughlin for raising this very important issue, which is of interest to us all. In law, the preparation of the register of electors, including the supplement to the register, is a matter for each local registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the co-operation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the register. It is...

Topical Issue Debate: Register of Electors Administration (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: I have listened with interest to the points made by Deputy McLoughlin. I assure him I share his concern about some of the anomalies that are cropping up too frequently in elections, particularly the need to identify the people who are registering, either directly in the formal electoral register process or through the supplementary register. We are looking at the use of PPS numbers as one...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Government Reform (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: I again assure Deputy Humphreys that I am committed to the concept of a directly elected mayor for Dublin. It is regrettable that in the discussions between the four local authorities it was not possible for them to reach consensus on what should constitute the powers and functions of a directly elected mayor. It certainly was not possible for me to ignore the fact that one of the local...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Government Reform (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: I thank Deputy Humphreys for raising this important matter. As he knows, the establishment of a directly elected mayor across the area of the four local authorities in Dublin has been attempted a number of times by Governments over the years, and there have been a number of changes of heart by those Governments, with a lack of structured consultation with local representatives or the people...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Legislative Process (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: The following table sets out details of legislation within the remit of my Department which has been passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas since 2011, in respect of which certain provisions have yet to come into effect. Legislation Legislative Provision not yet commenced Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 Section 48 Local Government Reform Act 2014 Section s 1(23), 32, 44...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act defines a customer as the occupier of the premises in receipt of water services. In advance of the commencement of water charges in October 2014, Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Qualifications (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No . 76 of 5 June 2014 which deals comprehensively with the matter raised and reflects the current position. Following recent developments involving separate moves by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists and the Royal Institution of Architects of Ireland to set up their own voluntary registers of architectural technologists with a view to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Remuneration (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: The salaries for County and City Managers, from 1 September 2008 to 31 December 2011, are set out in the table. Local Authority Manager Salary 01/09/08 to 31/12/09 Salary 01/01/10 to 31/12/11 Dublin City Council € 202,461 € 189,301 Cork County Council Fingal County Council South Dublin County Council € 171,313 € 162,062 Cork City Council...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Reform Expenditure (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: On 1 June 2014 the reform of local government structures, provided for in the Local Government Reform Act 2014, came into effect. As such, on that date, the town councils were dissolved and their functions, staff etc. integrated into the county council and the mergers of local authorities in Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford took effect. In terms of the costs of replacing town councils by...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (10 Jun 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government Act 1946 provides that where a property in a county council or urban local authority is unoccupied on the date of the making of the rate, the owner becomes liable for rates. However, the owner is entitled to a refund if the property is vacant for specified purposes i.e. if the premises are unoccupied for the purpose of additions, alterations or repairs; where the owner is...