Results 361-380 of 2,500 for speaker:Ciarán Cuffe

Written Answers — Rural Transport Services: Rural Transport Services (27 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: Pobal administers the Rural Transport Programme (RTP) on behalf of my Department. 36 rural community transport groups are being funded for the provision of transport services in their rural areas. I understand from Pobal that while a small number of the services are operated by the groups themselves, some 300 private transport operators are contracted by the groups on a competitive tendering...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: The mismatch between the collapse in demand for housing and the less rapid slowing of construction output has led to a situation in which there is now a significant overhang of vacant, unsold property. However, as all housing markets, at whatever point in the market cycle they may be, will have some level of vacancy, it is important to differentiate between total vacant stock and the excess...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: The policy role, at Ministerial level, is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority. The adoption of individual development contribution schemes is a reserved function of the locally elected members of each planning authority. It is a matter for the members to determine the level of...

Written Answers — Unfinished Housing Estates: Unfinished Housing Estates (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 33 and 58 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 4 on today's Order Paper.

Written Answers — Rural Transport Services: Rural Transport Services (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: Rural Lift is one of thirty six community transport groups around the country funded under my Department's Rural Transport Programme. Pobal administers the Programme on behalf of my Department. Neither I nor my Department have any role in relation to the day-to-day management issues pertaining to the Programme or in allocating funds to particular groups.

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: There has been no change in the position regarding the Free Travel Scheme and the Rural Transport Programme. The Free Travel Scheme continues to be available to holders of free travel passes issued by the Department of Social Protection availing of services under the Rural Transport Programme.

Unfinished Housing Estates. (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: The Department is progressing a range of actions, with the co-operation of local authorities and other key stakeholders, to address the issue of unfinished or unoccupied estates. These actions include an accurate quantification, classification and mapping of the various types of unfinished or unoccupied estates on a county by county basis to understand the scale and distribution of the...

Unfinished Housing Estates. (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: Thank you.

Unfinished Housing Estates. (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: To cut to the chase, we do not have a bottomless pit of money to throw at the problem and the responsibilities do not fall directly to the Department to address the multi-faceted issues which exist. On the first issue on what direct numbers we have, there are very different estimates depending on the source of information used. There is huge variation in the figures. For instance, the...

Unfinished Housing Estates. (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: I take that point but the last thing we want to do is rush headlong into proposing solutions when we have not adequately or accurately analysed the scale of the problem in the first instance. Last week, I took it upon myself not only to address the Irish Planning Institute conference but to spend an entire day listening to the various papers it put forward. There were very good addresses by...

Social and Affordable Housing. (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: It has been a pleasure.

Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Second Stage (22 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: I am a fan as well.

National Monuments. (21 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: I thank Deputy Costello for raising this matter. As the Deputy is aware, in January 2007 the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government placed a preservation order on Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street under section 8 of the National Monuments Act 1930, as amended. The preservation order was made on the grounds that the buildings are a monument, the preservation of which is of...

Urban Renewal Projects. (21 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: I thank the Deputy for once again bringing the matter of the regeneration of Limerick city to the attention of the House. It continues to be an issue that the Government and, in particular, my ministerial colleagues at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have been driving forward across all relevant Departments, State agencies and local authorities. The...

School Placement. (21 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Coughlan. I thank Deputy Stanton for raising the matter as it affords me the opportunity to outline the process being utilised to ensure that there will be adequate accommodation in schools at primary and post-primary level in all parts of the country. The forward planning section...

School Placement. (21 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: When the required reports have been completed for these initial identified areas, the forward planning section will continue to work on preparing reports on a priority basis for the remainder of the country.

School Placement. (21 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: Overall school accommodation requirements in Midleton, including any requirement for additional post-primary accommodation, will be considered in this regard.

School Placement. (21 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: In addition to the detailed analysis of accommodation needs currently being carried out by forward planning section, the Department is also examining a number of broad policy issues regarding the establishment of new post-primary schools. As part of this, consideration is being given to the setting up of a new framework in respect of the establishment of new second level schools and their...

House Prices. (21 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to speak on this important matter. We are all aware that many Irish people place a high value on owning their own home and of the significant efforts they make to secure and retain their home. This Government is conscious of the high value placed on owning a home and it is our objective from both an economic and social policy point of view to assist...

Written Answers — Civil Service Staff: Civil Service Staff (20 Apr 2010)

Ciarán Cuffe: My Department's Workplace Travel Plan includes measures such as a lift sharing website; provision of bicycles in each office location in Dublin for inter-office travelling and to facilitate those who wish to try commuting by bicycle; walkers and bicycle users groups; information for staff on public transport service timetables; information on walking distances to the Department's offices from...