Results 4,161-4,180 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (9 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2005 provide that local authorities and shall carry out such inspections of farm holdings as are necessary for the purposes of the regulations. The regulations also provide that local authorities should aim to co-ordinate their inspection activities with inspections carried out by other public...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (9 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the replies to Questions Nos. 51, 76 and 93 of 8 March 2006.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 18, 36, 46 and 56 together. The Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 which was debated at Second Stage in Seanad Éireann yesterday and today, 7 and 8 March, provides for the introduction of a streamlined consent process for specified classes of infrastructure development. In parallel, An Bord Pleanála will be restructured to...

Written Answers — Nuclear Plants: Nuclear Plants (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 79 together. Following the recent announcement regarding a review of the United Kingdom's progress under the medium and long-term goals of the White Paper on Energy 2003, a consultation document entitled Our Energy Challenge: Securing clean, affordable energy for the long term was launched on 23 January by the UK Secretary of State and the Minister for...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The Race Against Waste campaign, funded by my Department, in advising the public on easy ways to reduce waste at home, suggests using a nappy laundry service and saving disposable nappies for holidays or long journeys. This advice is intended to encourage people to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill. It also encourages people to consider the environmental impact of their...

Written Answers — Recycling Facilities: Recycling Facilities (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The following tabular statement sets out the information requested. These latest figures collated by my Department show that there were 68 local authority civic amenity sites and 1,891 bring banks in operation throughout the country at the end of June 2005. This represents a very significant increase since 1998, when there were only 837 bring sites and 30 civic amenity facilities nationally....

Written Answers — Recycling Policy: Recycling Policy (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 23 together. The WEEE scheme has now been operating for almost six months and the real benefits of this new system for consumers and the environment are becoming apparent. WEEE is now being collected from over 180 collection points nationwide. Early indications are that significant quantities of this waste type are being returned for recycling. In the...

Written Answers — Site Maintenance: Site Maintenance (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: As indicated in reply to Question No. 204 of 14 February 2006, my Department's mandate has been to secure and make safe the former Irish ISPAT site, and to have an appropriate site investigation carried out. The report of this site investigation is now being finalised and is expected to be presented in the coming weeks, following which I will be reporting to Government. Certain demolition...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: Under the Government's decentralisation programme all Dublin based operations of my Department are being decentralised, with the exception of Met Éireann, ENFO, the Private Rented Tenancies Board and a small co-ordination section which it is proposed to retain in Dublin to assist with the Department's Dáil and other business. The programme involves the relocation of my Department's...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department has completed a comprehensive review of the part of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 which set out the detailed rules, requirements and procedures for the planning application process. I intend to publish new regulations shortly. The purpose of the new regulations is to remove unnecessarily bureaucratic and administrative obstacles to people using the system, to...

Written Answers — Register of Electors: Register of Electors (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 34 and 41 together. In law, preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the co-operation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the register. I share the concerns that have been expressed on the quality of the register. My Department wrote...

Written Answers — Litter Pollution: Litter Pollution (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: Statistics on local authority enforcement action, including the number of litter fines issued, are submitted by local authorities to my Department every six months; these figures are also available in the Oireachtas Library. The number of litter fines issued for the first six months of 2005 — the most recent information available — is 13,787. There were 22,397 litter fines issued in the...

Written Answers — Local Government Ethics: Local Government Ethics (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The Local Government Act 2001 provided for a new and comprehensive ethics framework for those involved in local government. This is now in operation. Details of the regime were set out in the reply to Question No. 102 of 14 February 2006. The effectiveness of the local government ethics regime is being kept under close and active review in the light of experience since its introduction. I...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The 20% increase in cement emissions in 2004, as contained in the EPA's provisional report on greenhouse gas emissions, relates to increased emissions from cement manufacturing installations. Since 2005, these cement installations have been participating in the EU emissions trading scheme, which will contribute to control of emissions from this sector, as the cost of purchasing carbon...

Written Answers — Carbon Fund: Carbon Fund (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: An allocation of €20 million is already available in my Department's Vote for 2006 to finance the purchase of carbon credits for Ireland by the National Treasury Management Agency. I intend later this year to bring forward legislative proposals to support the operation of carbon credit purchasing through a multi-annual fund.

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 64, 70, 71, 83, 87, 94, 96 and 208 together. I refer to the reply to Priority Question No. 4 on today's Order Paper. While I will be pursuing a number of initiatives in line with recommendations made in the Indecon report on local government financing, I do not intend to implement the recommendations regarding the introduction of domestic water charges and...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: As I have already indicated, I have been examining the various options as to how best the rapidly evolving waste market might be regulated in future. This has entailed giving careful consideration to a wide range of issues, including how any regulatory regime could include elements of public service. I will shortly be in a position to present proposals to Government in regard to regulation in...

Written Answers — Nuclear Plants: Nuclear Plants (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 112 together. On 31 January, I met with the EU Commissioner for Energy with responsibility for nuclear energy and protection, Andris Piebalgs, to impress upon the European Commission the strength of Irish Government concerns in relation to the continued operation of the Sellafield nuclear plant. In support of Irish Government concerns, I again drew the...

Written Answers — End-of-Life Vehicles: End-of-Life Vehicles (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: Necessary enabling provisions to facilitate implementation of Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles, ELVs, were incorporated in the Protection of the Environment Act 2003. Part VA of the Waste Management Act 1996, as inserted by section 44 of the Protection of the Environment Act 2003, explicitly provides for producer responsibility for the free deposit of ELVs at authorised treatment...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 100 together. Substantial resources are being provided to the Private Residential Tenancies Board, PRTB, to meet the high level of demands on its services. There is currently a total of 35 staff working in the PRTB, which also receives ongoing support from my Department. The PRTB has also engaged a panel of 175 mediators and adjudicators to assist with...