Results 3,921-3,940 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Seanad: Seanad Bill 2013: Second Stage (15 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the Seanad on the Seanad Bill 2013. I recognise and acknowledge the work that has gone into the preparation and development of the Bill. It is a comprehensive Bill and many of its proposals are innovative and deserving of detailed consideration in their own right. I note that the Bill was preceded in September 2012 by the consultation paper,...

Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013: Financial Resolution (15 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I move:That provision be made in the Act giving effect to this Resolution:- to close an evasion loophole whereby vehicles are declared off the road retrospectively, which is unverifiable, by providing for a system whereby vehicles must be declared off the road in advance for motor tax purposes, - for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to be made a licensing authority and to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Taxation Administration (15 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Under section 157 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, commencing in 2014, the Minister for Finance will pay into the Local Government Fund an amount equivalent to the Local Property Tax paid into the Central Fund during that year. Questions concerning the use of Local Property Tax revenue raised in 2013 should be directed to my colleague, the Minister for Finance. The Government has...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Inspections (15 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: In December 2012 I announced my intention to introduce a grant scheme to provide financial assistance to households whose septic tanks and other domestic wastewater treatment systems are deemed to require remediation following an inspection under the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012. The grant scheme will only apply to owners of treatment systems which are the subject of an Advisory Notice...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Provision (15 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Portrane/Donabate/Rush/Lusk Sewerage Scheme is included in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme (WSIP) 2010 – 2013, with some elements to advance to construction and others to advance through planning during the lifetime of the Programme. Fingal County Council made a submission to my Department in February 2013 relating to the priority assigned in the WSIP...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Register of Electors Issues (15 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Government legislation programme for the summer session includes an Electoral (Amendment) Bill which will provide for amendments to the Electoral Act 1992 in relation to the date for applications for inclusion in the supplement to the postal and special voters lists in advance of elections and referendums. The Bill is in preparation and the detail will be published when the text is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (15 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which include adopting the annual budget and authorising borrowing, and are...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (15 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The requested information is currently being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Referendum Expenditure (15 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Government Legislation Programme includes an Electoral (Amendment) (Referendum Spending and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill to provide for the disclosure of expenditure and donations at a referendum campaign and for the extension of the spending limit period that applies at Presidential, Dáil, European Parliament and local elections. This Bill will be progressed later this year and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Electoral Law (15 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: There are 31 Acts of the Oireachtas in force concerned with electoral matters and 77 related Statutory Instruments. I have no plans at this time to consolidate primary or secondary electoral law.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Liability (14 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides the legislative basis for the Household Charge. The Act contains provisions which address circumstances in which a person who is the sole owner of a residential property dies. Section 4 of the Act provides that the personal representative, such as the executor, of the deceased person is not, in respect of that residential property,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tax Code (14 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The annual rate of motor tax for tractors used for the general carriage of goods by road for hire or reward is €333. The motor tax is not based on the combination of tractor and trailer.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (14 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I have no function in relation to any levy, such as excise duty, placed on motor fuels, as this is a matter for the Minister for Finance. Motor tax receipts for 2012 were in excess of €1bn. It is estimated that, in order to raise a similar amount from motor fuels, an increase in excise for a litre of petrol and auto diesel in the order of 28-30 cent, inclusive of Value Added Tax,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Nitrates Action Programme Implementation (14 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Set closed periods for the spreading of fertilisers, including slurry, is a requirement of the Nitrates Directive and is mandatory in every Member State. The purpose of closed periods is to protect ground and surface water bodies, including drinking water sources, by prohibiting the application of fertilisers when such application poses an unacceptable risk to water courses. Good...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Nuclear Plants (14 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: While not having a nuclear power industry, it is Ireland’s position that, where a State chooses to develop a nuclear power industry, this should be done in accordance with the highest international standards with respect to safety and environmental protection. Ireland’s priority is the safety of the Irish people and the protection of our environment, including the shared marine...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local and Community Development Programme Project Funding (14 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: The objective of the Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP) is to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between Government, and its agencies, and people in disadvantaged communities. It is a key tool of Government in providing supports for the ‘harder to reach’ in the most disadvantaged areas and communities. Given the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Taxation Administration (14 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 425 and 434 together. Under section 157 of the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012, commencing in 2014, the Minister for Finance will pay into the Local Government Fund an amount equivalent to the Local Property Tax paid into the Central Fund during that year. Questions concerning the use of Local Property Tax revenue raised in 2013 should be directed to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authorities Management (14 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department has issued guidelines to local authorities for dealing with customer complaints. A copy of these guidelines can be downloaded from . Local authorities generally have put in place a multiple stage procedure for dealing with customer complaints, including the case of a refusal to release records. The first stage generally is to discuss the complaint at the point of service, as...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Development Companies (14 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: There are no plans to break up local development companies under the alignment process. The reforms set out in Putting People First -Action Programme for Effective Local Government are designed to secure greater collaboration across the breath of publicly-funded local development activity. This includes increased co-operation between local government and local development companies, in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (14 May 2013)

Phil Hogan: Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes group sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. In December 2012 I announced an increase in the grant for group sewerage schemes to €6,500 per house or 75% of the cost of the scheme, whichever is the lesser. The previous rate of grant available was €2,031.58 per house...