Results 4,221-4,240 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Community Wardens: Community Wardens (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: The pilot community warden service, which was established in five local authorities in 2002, has since been placed on a permanent footing. Following a process of adjudication, the practical issues concerning the extension of the service to other local authorities have been settled. It is open to other local authorities to introduce the scheme, having regard to local circumstances and taking...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 875 and 908 of 10 July 2008. Section 10(2)(m) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires a development plan to include objectives for the protection of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht, including the promotion of Irish as the community language, where there is a Gaeltacht area in the area of the development plan. Guidelines...

Written Answers — Motor Taxation: Motor Taxation (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1037 and 1039 together. Liability for motor tax on any vehicle arises when the vehicle is first used in a public place following registration of the vehicle by the Revenue Commissioners and assignment of Irish number plates. It should be noted that the recently enacted Finance (No.2) Act 2008 contains measures designed to tighten the rules in relation to...

Written Answers — European Parliament Elections: European Parliament Elections (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: The timing of European Parliament elections is determined by the EU Council of Ministers by reference to the period corresponding to the first direct elections in 1979. Accordingly, they are held within a specified four-day period in June every five years subsequent to 1979. The Council announced in June 2008 that the 2009 European Parliament elections will take place between 4 and 7 June...

Written Answers — Building Energy Rating: Building Energy Rating (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1041, 1042, 1061 and 1111 together. The requirement for BER certification for existing dwellings offered for sale or letting commenced on 1 January 2009. As of 26 January, 2009, 4,873 persons have successfully completed training courses on BER certification of dwellings with training providers registered by HETAC or FETAC and listed on the Sustainable Energy...

Written Answers — Animal Welfare: Animal Welfare (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: Work has been ongoing for some time in my Department in drafting measures to provide for statutory regulation of dog breeding establishments within the dog control legislative regime. The issues involved are complex and required detailed consideration. This process has included discussions with a number of organisations, bodies, public agencies and interests active in this area. It is my...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: The Oughterard Sewerage Scheme is included for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-09. My Department has requested Galway County Council to make necessary amendments to the brief for the appointment of consultants to undertake the design of the scheme and detailed guidance has been provided to assist the Council in that regard. The amended brief will be dealt...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: The Portrane/Donabate/Rush/Lusk Sewerage Scheme is included for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-09. I approved Fingal County Council's tender documents for the wastewater treatment element of the scheme in August 2008 and my Department is now awaiting submission of the Council's tender recommendation. My Department is also awaiting submission of the...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: Under section 25 of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Act 1997, any development in an area in respect of which a planning scheme has been approved, which is certified by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority to be consistent with that planning scheme, is exempted development for the purposes of the Planning and Development Acts. The development in question was certified by the...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: In its judgment of 3 July 2008, the European Court of Justice found, inter alia, that development consents given for a wind farm development and associated works at Derrybrien, Co. Galway, were not preceded by environmental impact assessments which conformed to the requirements of Council Directive 85/337/EEC. My Department has had discussions with the European Commission concerning...

Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: Management of public drinking water supplies to ensure compliance with quality standards is the responsibility of each local authority, in this case Galway City Council. Under the European Communities (Drinking Water) (No.2) Regulations, 2007, local authority drinking water supplies are subject to supervision by the EPA. I have no direct function in the matter.

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: Responsibility for the security and safe storage of manual voting electoral materials (such as ballot boxes, stamping instruments and stationery), for the storage of electronic voting machines and equipment in their custody and for the conduct generally of elections in their constituencies is a matter for the Returning Officers. The relevant Returning Officer has requested that the...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: The Mountbellew Sewerage Scheme is included for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-09. My Department is awaiting submission of Galway County Council's contract documents for the scheme.

Written Answers — Natural Heritage Areas: Natural Heritage Areas (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: In its ruling of December 2007, the European Court of Justice found that the State was not adequately meeting the requirements of the Habitats and Birds directives in its licensing and regulation of aquaculture activities in Natura 2000 sites. This presented difficulties for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in terms of renewing or granting aquaculture licences in these sites...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: On 16 June 2008, I received the reports of the two independent Boundary Committees I established in January 2008 to review local electoral areas. The reports included the names recommended by the committees for all local electoral areas. When publishing the reports, I announced that, consistent with long established practice in respect of constituency formation at European, national and...

Written Answers — Natural Heritage Areas: Natural Heritage Areas (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: The Sluice River Marsh in Portmarnock is one of a large number of proposed Natural Heritage Areas (NHA) that are under consideration for formal designation. I would like to see the designation of this and other proposed NHA's brought forward as soon as possible. In recent times, my Department has been focusing on meeting obligations under the Habitats and Birds Directives by designating an...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: Any failure to collect waste is a contractual matter between the customer and the waste company involved. Regarding the question of the recyclates markets, representatives from the waste industry met with my Department on 24 October 2008 to discuss industry concerns regarding the sudden drop in international demand for recycled materials. Their principal issue of concern was the need...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: My Department's current Water Services Investment Programme covers the period 2007 to 2009. This scheme may be considered for approval in future phases of the Programme in light of its relative priority and the resources available at the time.

Written Answers — Offshore Islands: Offshore Islands (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: Funding has been made available by my Department to the Office of Public Works (OPW) for the purchase of the majority land holding on the Great Blasket Island. The OPW has advised my Department that the necessary legal and other work is well advanced and that the purchase should be completed shortly.

Written Answers — Archaeological Sites: Archaeological Sites (27 Jan 2009)

John Gormley: Section 26 of the National Monuments Act 1930 (as amended) provides for licensing of all digging or excavation in or under land for archaeological purposes. While 967 new licences were issued in 2008, separate data are not maintained on the breakdown between those issued for development purposes and those issued for research projects.