Results 3,501-3,520 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Community Development Initiatives (2 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: Community and Voluntary Fora exist in each city and county. The 34 Fora were established in association (in the majority of cases) with the establishment of the County/City Development Boards (CDBs) in 2000. One of their key roles is to facilitate the community in making an input to the CDB and local authorities in particular. My Department provides funding to support the Fora in organising...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates Impact (2 Jul 2013)

Phil Hogan: 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. The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (27 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: Motor tax for private cars is calculated on the basis of CO 2 emissions or engine capacity, depending on the date of first registration of the car. Any reduction in motor tax rates for this category would require a compensatory increase elsewhere in the motor tax rates or elsewhere in the tax code. I have no plans to revise the basis of taxation for vehicles at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Staff Numbers (27 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: In 2012, 57 staff members availed of special unpaid leave under the Shorter Working Year scheme (formerly term-time); the average duration of leave was 6 weeks. To date in 2013, my Department has approved 56 applications under the scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Agencies Staff Numbers (27 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 185 and 187 together. Day to day operations in agencies under the aegis of my Department are a matter for management in each agency. Accordingly, the information requested is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Staff Training (27 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department places considerable emphasis on relevant skills development by staff at all levels.  It offers on-going training programmes for staff, based on business requirements identified through the business planning mechanism and the performance management development system.  Under the Refund of Educational Fees Scheme, which operates on an annual basis, staff members can...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Charges Collection (27 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority.  The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied to the valuation for each property, determined by the Valuation Office, to obtain the amount payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of each local authority in the annual budget and its determination is a reserved function. Rates income...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems (27 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: In December 2012 I announced that a grant scheme would be established to provide financial assistance to households whose treatment systems are deemed, following inspection under the 2012 legislation, to require remediation or upgrading and that full details would be set down in Regulations which I would make in advance of inspections commencing. This week I signed the Domestic Wastewater...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Professional Registration (27 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007 provides for the registration of persons entitled to use the title of Architect in order to protect consumers against individuals passing themselves off as Architects. Since the commencement of the Act any person not being so registered who uses the title architect (either alone or in combination with any other words or letters, or name, title or...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Security of the Elderly (26 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Seniors Alert Scheme aims to encourage community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, without sufficient means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The Scheme is administered by local community...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Tax Assessments (26 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009 broadened the revenue base of local authorities by introducing a charge on non-principal private residences. The self-assessed charge is set at €200 and liability for it falls, in the main, on owners of rental, holiday and vacant properties. Under the Act, it is a function of a local authority to collect the Non-Principal Private Residence...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Community Development Initiatives (26 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: I established an Alignment Working Group earlier this year, comprising local government and local development representatives, to advise and assist my Department on the implementation of new governance arrangement s as envisaged in Putting People First - Action Programme for Effective Local Government . A key term of reference of the Working Group is a consideration of the future management...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Elections (26 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: A person can be nominated to stand for election in more than one local electoral area. Article 14(3) of the Local Elections Regulations 1995 provides that a separate nomination paper is required for each local electoral area for which a candidate is nominated at a local election. Article 124 of the 1995 Regulations , as amended, provides that where a person is elected as a member of the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Issues (26 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Public Service Agreement, 2010-2014, outlines the redeployment arrangements for local authorities. The arrangements are confirmed in the Haddington Road Agreement which contains some changes in relation to cross-sectoral redeployment.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (26 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: Council Directive 93/109/EC of 6 December 1993 relating to European Parliament elections provides that EU citizens, who are not nationals of the Member State in which they reside but who meet the same conditions in respect of the right to vote as that State imposes on its own nationals, have the right to vote in that Member State. Within this framework, the Directive provides for a system of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authorities Management (26 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: Article 12 of the Local Government Act 2001 (Section 237A) Regulations 2003 requires a County or City Manager together with the Cathaoirleach of the County or City Council to arrange to meet with local parliamentary representatives as a group at least annually. Arranging such meetings, and any further meetings between Oireachtas Members and County/City Managers, are matters for local...

Ráiteas mar Fhaisnéis do Vótálaithe i ndáil leis an mBille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Tairiscint - Statement for the Information of Voters in relation to the Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Motion (25 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: Tairgim:"GO ndéanfar an ráiteas atá leagtha amach sa Sceideal a ghabhann leis an Rún seo a fhorordú mar fhaisnéis do vótálaithe, de bhun alt 23 d'Acht an Reifrinn, 1994 (Uimh. 12 de 1994), i ndáil leis an togra chun an Bunreacht a leasú chun deireadh a chur le Seanad Éireann agus chun foráil a dhéanamh gurb iad an...

An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am glad to clarify that the constitutional review group of 1996 recommended reducing the number of Members of either House required for the nomination of a presidential candidate, and that is what we are doing. It is a ratio proportionate to the number of Members of the House. Deputy Murphy can pick any number she wishes. We are not being disrespectful in any way of the right of the...

An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Government is entitled to a view as well as everyone else.

An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (25 Jun 2013)

Phil Hogan: We are looking at the nominating process for presidential candidates as part of the Constitutional Convention. It is a separate issue. I have replied to Deputy Higgins and to Deputy Ó Snodaigh that we have an open mind on whether there is a role for citizens in a popular nomination of a presidential candidate, based on signatories. We are not ruling it out. In the event that the...