Results 4,161-4,180 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (18 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: Figures related to the cost of absenteeism are not available in my Department. The Local Government Sector has used Service Indicators to monitor sick leave for a number of years. Based on figures reported by local authorities, the total number of days lost in the sector to absenteeism rose slightly from 346,750 in 2010 to 350,224 in 2011. A significant quantum of the sick leave reported...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (18 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Burncourt and Fethard Regional Water Supply Scheme Water Treatment Plants (Burncourt and Gortnapisha) Contract is included in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013, as a contract to commence during the life of the Programme. In addition, further network elements of the scheme are included to advance through planning during the same period. I...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Application (18 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to further improve the energy efficiency of new buildings with a view to moving towards carbon neutral homes in the longer term. In tandem with this commitment, Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings requires EU Member States, inter alia, to ensure that all new buildings will be nearly zero-energy by 31 December 2020 (or...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Applications (18 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: Funding of €314m is available under the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013 for allocation to qualifying projects up to the end of 2013. There are 35 Local Action Groups (LAGs) contracted, on my Department’s behalf, to deliver the RDP throughout the country and these groups are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Ministerial Adviser Pay (18 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 190 and 191 together. The information requested is set out in the following table: Office Name Current Salary € Minister Hogan Sean McKeown 92,672 Claire Langton 86,604 Minister of State O’Sullivan Aidan Culhane 83,337 Paul Daly 83,337 In line with the Instructions on ministerial Appointments for the 31st Dáil,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: State Bodies Establishment (18 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: The State Bodies established under the aegis of my Department since March 2011 are as follows: - The Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency - The Local Government Management Agency These bodies were established under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Acts 1971 to 2012. Section 5 of the Act provides that the Minister may by order at any time revoke an establishment...

Seanad: Adjournment Debate: Nuclear Power Plants (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: There is a considerable degree of engagement between the Irish and UK authorities, of which the Senator may not be aware.

Seanad: Adjournment Debate: Nuclear Power Plants (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: There is no point in making people aware of it until such time as a scientific and technical assessment is carried out on my behalf by the relevant agency - the RPII. The agency has been engaged with the UK authorities for a long time and raised the issues I have outlined.

Seanad: Adjournment Debate: Nuclear Power Plants (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: The RPII has been engaged constantly at official level since and carried out its own studies of these matters, which is why I offered the Senator a briefing when matters were concluded. There is no point in coming to conclusions without first doing the homework on the science or making an assessment of the facility to establish if there is a danger. If there is, the Government will be...

Seanad: Adjournment Debate: Medicinal Products Prices (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Minister for Health is quite sympathetic to the principles and practice the Senator has outlined. I will bring the matters he has raised to the Minister's attention tomorrow.

Seanad: Adjournment Debate: Nuclear Power Plants (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Government of Ireland and its people have long been concerned about the potential impacts on Ireland, including the Irish Sea, from nuclear activities in the United Kingdom. Although Ireland does not have a nuclear power industry, it is Ireland's position that where a State chooses either to develop a nuclear power industry or, in this case, to consider expanding its existing nuclear...

Seanad: Adjournment Debate: Medicinal Products Prices (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: I apologise for the inability of the Minister for Health to be present to respond to the matter raised by Senator Burke. He has asked me to convey his apologies in that regard. The Minister is in favour of pharmacists publishing details of dispensing and other fees. Under the code of conduct of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, pharmacists are required to provide honest, relevant,...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: EU Funding (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: A large number of projects under the Rural Development (LEADER), Water Services, Peace and Reconciliation, and INTERREG programmes financed by my Department benefited from EU funding during the periods in question. Any EU funding received directly by bodies under the aegis of my Department is a matter for the agencies concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: Mayo North East Leader Partnership is the Local Action Group contracted by my Department to deliver both the Rural Development Programme and the Local Community Development Programme to the North Mayo area. On foot of correspondence received in 2011 regarding a possible governance issue at Mayo North East LEADER Partnership Company, a comprehensive investigation into the issues outlined was...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development Programme Funding (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: In late 2011 the European Commission approved a change in the maximum co-funding rate from 55% to 85% for the Axes 3 and 4 elements (LEADER) of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013. Prior to this the LEADER elements were co-funded at a rate of 55% by the EU, with the remaining 45% coming from national Exchequer sources. The 2011 agreement reduced the national...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Safety Issues (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Building Regulations set out the minimum legal requirements that apply when a new building is being constructed or when an existing building is being extended or undergoes a material alteration or a material change of use. Part B of the regulations addresses fire safety and the accompanying Technical Guidance Document B (TGD B) outlines how the legal requirements may be achieved in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (17 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: The procurement process for the sub-contractor panel has been developed by my Department, in consultation with Bord Gáis Éireann, to ensure that SMEs have an opportunity to compete for contracts. The tender criteria have been developed to ensure that sub-contractors have the capacity to carry out the scale of work involved to the necessary high standard. The approach being taken for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Taxation Collection (17 Apr 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: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (16 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: Taken in isolation, this single criterion does not reflect Ireland’s actual performance in the report. Overall, Ireland is ranked 19th out of the 140 countries featured, an improvement of two places on our ranking in the 2011 report. Looking at other criteria in the current report, Ireland is placed 16th on stringency and 21th on enforcement of environmental regulation; 21st on the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Litter Pollution Legislation (16 Apr 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 750 and 808 together. The Litter Pollution Acts 1997 to 2009 provide the statutory framework to combat the litter problem. Under the Acts, the primary management and enforcement response to littering is, in the first instance, a matter for local authorities. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the most appropriate course of action to...