Results 4,501-4,520 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Fire Stations: Fire Stations (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department has implemented a number of the important recommendations of the report review of fire safety and fire services in Ireland. These include in particular the enactment of the Licensing of Indoor Events Act 2003, which addressed a number of legislative changes called for in the review. In addition, the high level of capital investment in the fire service has been continued and now...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 208 together. As part of the response to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of April 2002 on the operation of the planning appeals system, a committee of officials from my Department and An Bord Pleanála was established to meet to assist in responding to the recommendations of that report. Arising out of the discussions of that...

Written Answers — Site Maintenance: Site Maintenance (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department is mandated by a Government decision to maintain and secure this site, to conduct a suitable site investigation and to prepare a report for Government on the results of that investigation. The site investigation works have now been completed and my Department expects to have the resulting interpretative reports within a few weeks. The deteriorating condition of a number of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Audit: Departmental Audit (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The internal financial controls of my Department are reviewed regularly and amended and updated as appropriate, particularly in the context of the preparation of the statement on internal financial controls which must accompany the annual appropriation account. My Department's internal audit unit also reviews internal control and risk management systems on an ongoing basis and provides...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2004 report showed that 10,176 complaints regarding unauthorised developments were investigated by planning authorities in 2004. As this was the first national report on service indicators, no comparable information is available in respect of 2003. I expect to receive the 2005 report on service indicators from the local government management...

Written Answers — Architectural Heritage: Architectural Heritage (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the replies to Question No. 413 of 12 October 2005, Question No. 637 of 25 October 2005 and Question No. 111 of 29 November 2005. Statutory protection of the architectural heritage is primarily a matter for the planning authorities to whom my Department provides advice in the exercise of their functions in that regard under the Planning and Development Act 2000. On 25 August 2005,...

Written Answers — Air Pollution: Air Pollution (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 215 and 658 together. Air quality assessment is the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and air quality management a matter for local authorities informed by air quality measurement data. The EPA's ambient air quality in Ireland report 2004, which is available in the Oireachtas Library, contains details of the monitoring and assessment...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 12 of 29 November 2005. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 and 643 together. The chief archaeologist post in my Department is occupied by an officer who holds a BA honours in archaeology and who has served in the national monuments service of the Office of Public Works, the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government since 1976,...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: Information technology hardware is within the scope of the EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE, and is therefore already fully provided for in the WEEE regulations.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The Mayo towns and villages sewerage scheme, of which The Neale is an element, is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 as a scheme to commence construction in 2007. My Department is awaiting submission of Mayo County Council's preliminary report for the scheme.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 612 and 613 together. Consultations as referred to in Question No. 613 have taken place and the outcome has been reported to the Department of Finance. I do not consider it appropriate to indicate the individual preferences of officers concerned in my Department. However, my Department's decentralisation implementation plans, which are available at...

Written Answers — Fire Stations: Fire Stations (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: Kilkenny County Council has submitted proposals in respect of the construction of new fire stations at Graiguenamanagh and Urlingford, County Kilkenny. These proposals will be considered in the context of the 2006 fire services capital programme having regard to overall, for fire services capital investment.

Written Answers — Architectural Heritage: Architectural Heritage (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The Black Freren Gate in Kilkenny City is a national monument in local authority ownership and is the subject of a preservation order. My Department has not received any application from Kilkenny city in relation to the restoration of the gate. I understand the Office of Public Works has been monitoring the condition of the gate and has found it to be stable. While my Department does not...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The Kinvara sewerage scheme is included in my Department's water services investment programme, 2005 to 2007, as a scheme to start construction in 2007 at an estimated cost of €2.8 million. Galway County Council's revised preliminary report for the scheme is under examination in my Department and is being dealt with as quickly as possible. I have recently introduced new administrative...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 347 of 8 February 2006.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The Clonmellon sewerage treatment plant extension has been approved for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme, 2005 to 2007, under the serviced land initiative. I approved Westmeath County Council's contract documents for the scheme in November 2005 and it is now a matter for the council to advance the scheme through the tender process.

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: Waste management services have traditionally been provided at a local level, with individual arrangements being locally determined and tailored to local circumstances. Under section 52 of the Protection of the Environment Act 2003, the determination of waste management charges is a matter for the relevant local authority, where it acts as the service provider. Similarly, where a private...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The 2004 annual returns from planning authorities indicated that 470 full-time planners, 244 other professional staff and 265 part-time technical staff were employed in planning authorities. Annual returns for 2005 will be forwarded to my Department shortly. I am happy that this level of staff, which has substantially increased over the last ten years, is sufficient to sustain the existing...

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department will compensate landowners for all proven costs incurred or losses sustained as a result of complying with the management requirements of the Shannon callows special protection area on the basis of a costed five year plan under a shortly to be announced national parks and wildlife service farm plan scheme. Where standard rates of payment can be agreed, these will be available to...