Results 4,201-4,220 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: Ireland signed the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters on 25 June 1998. Progress towards ratification of the convention is closely aligned with work at EU level. To date, the European Union has adopted two directives as part of the ratification process for the convention. These deal with public...

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The Government favours a positive but precautionary approach to applications of modern biotechnology. This is based on the work of the interdepartmental group on modern biotechnology whose report in October 2000 was endorsed by the Government. The report concluded that we should acknowledge the potential benefits of genetic engineering while maintaining a fundamental commitment to safety and...

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

Dick Roche: My Department published draft development management guidelines for planning authorities in November 2005, which are intended to assist planning authorities in dealing with the planning application process. They aim to promote best practice in the processing of planning applications and have a strong customer service focus. Although primarily aimed at the management of the planning process,...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: Any landowner or person with a legal interest in land proposed for designation as part of a special area of conservation, SAC, may lodge an objection to my Department on scientific grounds and have the proposed designation reviewed. Three months are allowed to lodge such appeals. The first stage of the appeals process is an internal review within the national parks and wildlife service, NPWS,...

Written Answers — Dog Breeding Establishments: Dog Breeding Establishments (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The report of the working group, which was established to review the management of dog breeding establishments, was submitted to me on 7 September 2005. On 20 October 2005, I announced a public consultation process on foot of the working group's report. In view of the many divergent views on the issue, I wanted to canvass public opinion more widely before taking final decisions on the matter....

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

Dick Roche: In recent years, Ireland has achieved considerable success in meeting targets for the recovery and recycling of packaging waste. Data from the Environmental Protection Agency show that the 25% target for 2001 set under Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste was achieved. It also shows that with 56% recovery of packaging waste in 2004, Ireland exceeded the 2005 recovery target of...

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

Dick Roche: The Government is committed to an integrated approach to waste management based on the internationally recognised hierarchy of prevention-minimisation, significantly increased levels of recycling, energy recovery and, finally, utilising landfill as the last resort for residual waste that cannot otherwise be recovered. The policy document, delivering change, published in 2002 contained a...

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

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 95 together. My Department does not compile detailed information on the incidence of fly-tipping. The recently published report of the Office of Environmental Enforcement, entitled The Nature and Extent of Unauthorised Waste Activity in Ireland, identifies the unauthorised collection and fly-tipping of waste as one of the problem areas in regard to...

Written Answers — National Biodiversity Plan: National Biodiversity Plan (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: Significant progress has been achieved on the 13 initiatives, which I announced in November, to support the ongoing implementation of the national biodiversity plan. This progress is indicated as follows. A dedicated biodiversity unit has been put in place in my Department. A biodiversity fund of €1 million, spread over the years 2006-07, has also been put in place and has been advertised...

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

Dick Roche: Section 34(4) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 enables a planning authority to attach conditions requiring a developer to provide roads, open spaces, sewers, watermains or drains and the giving of adequate security for satisfactory completion of the proposed development. Once the developer has completed the development in accordance with the terms of the planning permission, section...

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

Dick Roche: My Department does not complie information from planning authorities on the number of decisions relating to retention planning applications.

Written Answers — Housing Statistics: Housing Statistics (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Priority Question No. 6 on today's Order Paper.

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

Dick Roche: On foot of the success of the plastic bag levy, An Agreed Programme for Government contained a commitment to consider the extension of environmental levies to other materials which may be problematic from a waste management or litter perspective. A consultancy study was commissioned to carry out a comprehensive and objective analysis on the application of economic instruments, including...

Written Answers — Fire Services: Fire Services (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The provision of a fire service, including the carrying out of inspections of buildings and taking enforcement proceedings, is a statutory function of the individual fire authorities and my Department has no direct role in this matter. My Department supports local fire authorities through the setting of general policy, the provision of capital funding, the issue of guidance to fire...

Written Answers — Land Development: Land Development (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: In 2003, consultants engaged by my Department carried out a study that among other things considered factors affecting the supply of land to the housing market, including the possible hoarding of building land. The study considered previous analyses of the housing and land markets, and sought possible evidence of hoarding, based on case studies of three areas, including Fingal and Dún...

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

Dick Roche: Directive 94/62/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on packaging and packaging waste is based on the concept of producer responsibility, which effectively requires producers to contribute to the waste management costs of products which they have placed on the market at end of life. Under the directive, Ireland was required to achieve a 25% recovery rate of packaging waste by 1...

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

Dick Roche: The detailed information sought is not available in my Department. National waste statistics for all waste streams are published at three-yearly intervals by the Environmental Protection Agency with the most recent national waste report being in respect of 2004. Between 2001 and 2004, two interim database reports have been published to provide data on municipal waste, specifically household...

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

Dick Roche: I refer to the replies to Questions Nos. 506 and 513 of 28 February 2006 and to Question No. 7 on today's Order Paper. My Department works closely with the Department of Transport, within the framework provided by the national climate change strategy, to ensure implementation of an optimum mix of policies and measures to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Written Answers — Motor Vehicle Registration: Motor Vehicle Registration (8 Mar 2006)

Dick Roche: The information requested for the years 1995 to 2004, inclusive, is published in table 1 of the annual Bulletin of Vehicle and Driver Statistics 2004, available in the Oireachtas Library. The figure for the year 2005 is 2,138,680 vehicles.

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

Dick Roche: Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, planning authorities have been enabled to adopt supplementary development contributions schemes in order to help pay for particular public infrastructure services or projects, including the provision of particular rail, light rail or other public transport infrastructure. A number of local authorities have adopted these schemes, including Dún...