Results 41,761-41,780 of 46,260 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Status (16 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: Following the formal public exhibition of the proposed flood relief scheme for Templemore which took place in March/April of 2015, work on finalising the detailed design of the scheme has been ongoing. This has involved necessary consultations with relevant stakeholders. The Office of Public Works is working to progress the scheme as quickly as possible and hopes to submit the scheme to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (16 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The specific areas mentioned by the Deputy are within the Drainage District of Cavan County Council. Drainage Districts are areas where drainage schemes to improve land for agricultural purposes were constructed prior to the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. The statutory duty of maintenance for these schemes lies with the Local Authorities concerned. The Office of Public Works (OPW) carries out...

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Prevention Measures (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: I join with Deputy Dooley in paying tribute to those people he has rightly highlighted as heroes in the response to the very bad weather. I too was struck by the story of the huge ordeal the Kinsella family has gone through and I pay tribute to them for their major efforts. It is important to note that the CFRAM process will reduce the time it takes to deliver a scheme by about two years....

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Prevention Measures (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: I agree.

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Prevention Measures (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I agree with his initial comments and have said a number of times in the past week or ten days that politicians, regardless of political persuasion, donning wellies and standing around looking sympathetic will not serve much purpose. I visited Bandon and Skibbereen yesterday because the county council had passed a motion calling on me to...

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2015: Second and Subsequent Stages (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The Appropriation Bill 2015 is an essential element of financial housekeeping that, as Members of the Seanad are aware, must be concluded by both Houses of the Oireachtas this year. The Bill serves two primary purposes. First, it is necessary to authorise in law all the expenditure that has been undertaken in 2015 on the basis of the Estimates that already have been agreed during the year....

Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2015: Second and Subsequent Stages (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: I thank all Senators for their constructive contributions to what is a technical item of legislation.To pick up where Senator Hayden left off, I agree that it is worth giving time to scrutinise this legislation because that would be a useful overview of where we find ourselves in terms of the public finances. Undoubtedly, the economic crisis had a profound impact on those finances. When the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Funding (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: No application has been received to date by the Office of Public Works (OPW) under its Minor Flood Mitigation Works & Coastal Protection Scheme from Kerry County Council (KCC) for Kenmare, Co Kerry. However, it remains open to KCC to apply to the OPW for funding under this Scheme for mitigation measures that meet the Scheme's eligibility criteria, including a requirement that the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works (OPW) carries out an annual programme of Arterial Drainage Maintenance to a total of 11,500km of river channel and approximately 730km of embankments. This OPW programme maintains those arterial drainage schemes completed by the OPW under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945. The maintenance ensure the schemes are kept in proper repair and in an effective condition to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) developed a flood relief scheme for Foynes and received approval for the proposed scheme under Part viii of the Planning and Development Act. The Local Authority sought approval from the Office of Public Works to fund the scheme and this approval has been issued. LCCC is currently in discussions with Iarnród Éireann in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Coastal Protection (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works is not the competent authority under planning regulations or foreshore regulations/legislation to grant any sort of temporary permission to carry out emergency coastal erosion preventative works. This is a matter for the Local Authority or, in the case of Foreshore licences, the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. The only approval that...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The core strategy for addressing the significant areas at significant risk and impact from flooding in Donegal, is the Office of Public Works' (OPW) Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme. Donegal has 27 locations among the 300 locations nationwide that are being assessed under the Programme the purpose of which is to implement the EU Floods Directive and national...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Funding (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works (OPW) does not provide funding to Local Authorities to carry out drainage maintenance works. The OPW carries out its own programme of Arterial Drainage Maintenance. A total of 11,500km of river channel form part of the Arterial Drainage Schemes, and approximately 730km of embankments. While new Arterial Drainage Schemes are no longer being undertaken, the OPW has a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Status (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: As you are aware, the Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme is being progressed by Clare County Council (CCC) as the contracting authority under its powers, and with funding and advice as appropriate from the Office of Public Works (OPW). CCC and the OPW are working together to ensure that all possible options are examined to ensure maximum protection for properties along with maximum value for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Funding (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The Office of Public Works is fully committed to progressing all the flood defence projects for County Cork as quickly as possible. The Mallow North and Mallow South and West flood defence schemes are completed and are operational. Some additional works are being undertaken on the Mallow South and West Scheme. The second stage of a tender competition for a civil works contractor for...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Status (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The table sets out the details for all major flood relief schemes in County Cork at planning, construction and post-construction phase, the period of construction, a breakdown of the annual funding for such schemes over the 2011-2015 period. Scheme Stage Period of Construction Cost €000 2011 Cost €000 2012 Cost €000 2013 Cost €000 2014 Cost €000 2015 * Co...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Sports Facilities Provision (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: I am advised by the Commissioners that the position remains unchanged from the response provided to the Deputy on 17 November last (PQ 229), in that the Commissioners of Public Works have no record of receiving an application from South Dublin County Council seeking a waiver of a parcel of land at Knockmitten Park, Clondalkin arising from the dissolution of Western Investments Ltd.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Relief Schemes Status (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: In November 2013, the first stage of the procurement process for a civil works contractor to undertake the Bandon Flood Relief Scheme was commenced. This involved submission of a suitability assessment questionnaire by interested contractors. Following completion of this first stage assessment the process was challenged by an unsuccessful applicant on the grounds that they considered their...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Properties (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: The OPW's policy relating to non-operational properties is, firstly, to identify alternative State use. If there is no other State use for a property the OPW will then consider disposing of the property on the open market, if and when conditions prevail, in order to generate much needed revenue for the Exchequer. If no State requirement is identified or if a decision is taken not to dispose...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Prevention Measures (15 Dec 2015)

Simon Harris: Drainage Districts are areas where drainage schemes to improve land for agricultural purposes were constructed under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1925. 170 Drainage District Schemes were established, covering 4,600km of channel. The statutory duty of maintenance for these schemes lies with the Local Authorities concerned. The Office of Public Works (OPW) carries out its own programme of...