Results 3,741-3,760 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Library Projects: Library Projects (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: In January 2004, local authorities were asked to review their capital programmes for library development and to submit a prioritised list of proposals, which they wished to have considered by my Department in its overall review of the Programme. In its submission, Fingal County Council listed Rush as joint third. In October last year, I announced funding for thirteen library projects. Due to...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: This is a technical amendment to section 34, which replaces sections 37 to 47, inclusive, of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001. The amendment simply clarifies that the amendment is to that Act, as amended by the Railway Safety Act 2005. The 2005 Act amended the period of public consultation as set out in section 40 of the 2001 Act from 14 to 30 days. The Bill replaces this...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The amendment is incorrectly worded but, rather than cause a delay, I will consider the matter with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel and revert to the Deputy, sorry the Senator, on Report Stage.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The Senator made a valid point. If he does not press the amendment at this stage, I will revert to him on Report Stage because he may be correct that the wording needs to be tidied up. It would be appropriate to do so, given the additional emphasis being placed on heritage.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The amendment seeks to require the Railway Procurement Agency or CIE to engage in bona fide reasonable efforts to acquire land by agreement before seeking a compulsory order. I do not propose to accept the amendment because, even if it was possible to determine with precision what is meant in practice by "bona fide reasonable efforts", we are not placing this requirement on any other body...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: It is not quite that simple. The board must publicise the making of a railway order as early as possible upon making the order. That will facilitate wide notification of the making of the order and as a consequence it is appropriate that the eight-week period start on the date of the making of the railway order. As the Senators know, it is critical that any challenges are taken as quickly as...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I made the point that there could be difficulties with serving the notice and this could cause confusion. If there is a court challenge in the normal course of events and it is felt that there is a deficiency in the notice, or that the notice has not been sufficient to allow a person to seek the legal redress under discussion here, it would be a matter for the discretion of the courts to...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (Resumed). (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I return to my point that there is not always the certainty that one can find the person on whom to appropriately serve the notice. If there is a deficiency in the amount of time and some bona fide reason why a court should hear a case after the eight weeks, the court would have that discretion. It would be unwise to open the gates and allow prevarication on this. I can see difficulties. I am...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I note the point the Senator is making but 18 weeks is probably the shortest feasible time for the board to get all its ducks in a row, all its decisions and the reports concerned. If a decision could be made in a shorter period, I would favour that. We have had some extraordinary cases of delays to work on infrastructure, which have frustrated the general public and caused public harm, and...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I will commend Senator Bannon's humanity to his colleague in the other House, Deputy Bruton, who continuously excoriates the Government for what he sees as its profligacy in its spending of public funding, for example by recruiting excessive numbers of public servants. The issue of personnel, which has been raised by the Senator, is not immediately germane to the section of the Bill under...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The Senator has made a fair point, although it is not directly related to the Bill. As planning is a culturally specific activity, An Bord Pleanála and the local authorities have to take care when recruiting staff. Some of the planning staff from outside the State are excellent and very welcome. If they were not available, we would find it difficult to fill vacancies from within the skill...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: It is a fair point. The influx of skilled people into this country is welcome because it is a positive thing. If one considers the decisions which have been made at EU level in recent days — I accept that this is outside the immediate context — it is likely that countries which have been less progressive will have every reason to regret their decisions. It is not a good idea to close...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The amendment puts me in a rather peculiar position as a Minister. The Opposition is proposing that the Minister should be given more power, in effect, but I am not prepared to agree to that. The Senator is proposing to empower the Minister to give a direction to the board to prioritise a particular application. The general point I have been making is that we have put in place a planning...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: This is a textual amendment, as suggested by the Parliamentary Counsel. It is simply to delete an unnecessary cross-reference as a proposed development. It is already defined in subsection (1) and does not impact on the substance of the Bill. It is very much like the editing job Senator Bannon wanted to do in so many other areas. I am hopeful this will have the approval of the House.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The amendment to section 182A(4)(b) provides that an application for the consent and the accompanying environmental impact statement, EIS, for an electricity transmission line will have to be sent to the local authority in an area as well as to prescribed bodies. This refers back to something Senator Bannon was highlighting earlier, namely, the importance of having a cross-reference to ensure...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: The amendment to section 182A(5)(a), relating to electricity transmission lines, will allow the board to ask for further information as regards the consequences of proper planning and substantial sustainable development of the area concerned. The current wording allows the board to seek further information only as regards the effects of the proposed development on the environment. This...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I do not believe so. It is appropriate that information such as this should be available to those who want to have a debate or a discussion on it. The Senator is right in suggesting that the energy supply situation is very important. That is why transmission lines are being brought into the Bill and why I am very pleased that the House is so positive about that development. At the same time,...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: Perhaps the Senator misunderstood. I said I had bitter experience in the past in this regard.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: No, it did not.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006: Committee Stage. (3 May 2006)

Dick Roche: I was actually a Deputy at the time. It helped to make me a Deputy, but I nearly lost my house over it.