Results 4,521-4,540 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

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

Dick Roche: In June 2005 I approved funding for the provision of new wastewater facilities at seven locations in County Tipperary as a pilot programme to test a range of new, small-scale wastewater collection and treatment systems under Irish conditions. The pilot programme, proposed by the national rural water monitoring committee, will also test a low cost, low maintenance system to collect, treat and...

Written Answers — Airport Development Projects: Airport Development Projects (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department did not meet any part of the cost for this report, which I understand was borne in full by the then Department of Public Enterprise, now the Department of Transport.

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

Dick Roche: I intend to introduce an amendment to existing compulsory acquisition legislation in the forthcoming Strategic Infrastructure Bill, to assist State bodies acquiring land in certain circumstances, and the feasibility of further amendment of such legislation is under consideration.

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

Dick Roche: Under section 7 of the Litter Pollution Act 1997, it is a matter for each local authority to ensure that public roads — including national primary roads and motorways — in its functional area are, so far as practicable, kept free of litter.

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: There were three substantial outcomes to the UN climate change conference, which took place last December in Montreal. The conference, as the first meeting of parties to the Kyoto Protocol, formally adopted both the 2001 Marrakech Accords, which sets out the detailed rules for implementation of the protocol, and a compliance regime to ensure parties meet their commitments under the protocol....

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

Dick Roche: The chairman of An Bord Pleanála has previously indicated that he met with representatives of the Irish Offshore Operators Association in September 2003 to discuss general matters relating to planning. The minutes of that meeting clearly show that the board refused to discuss an individual case. The correspondence related to that meeting shows that it had been arranged in July, and its...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The promotion of social inclusion is a key policy objective for Government. Local authorities have an important role in achieving this objective at local level, reflecting their democratic mandate, wide ranging service delivery functions and specific responsibilities in areas such as housing and community development. The Local Government Act 2001 identifies social inclusion as a core issue...

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

Dick Roche: The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources reported in June 2005 on non-ionising radiation from mobile phone handsets and masts. The report made 11 recommendations, including a recommendation that planning guidelines and planning exemptions should be examined with a view to ensuring no "electromagnetic emissions" or "radio frequency emissions" emitting...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The publication, Service Indicators in Local Authorities 2004, by the Local Government Management Services Board reported on performance across 42 indicators of service, covering the broad range of local authority activities. These indicators were drawn up by the local government customer service group, following extensive consultation with local authorities. The customer service group is...

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

Dick Roche: The WEEE directive allows producers to show the cost of recovering and recycling "historic" waste, that is, waste arising from electric and electronic products put on the market before 13 August 2005. These costs are referred to as environmental management costs or EMCs. They are not imposed by or remitted to the Government, but are paid by producers to the two collective compliance schemes...

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

Dick Roche: The information sought is not available in my Department in regard to planning applications. The Central Statistics Office publishes quarterly statistics on planning as part of the housing quarterly statistics. This identifies planning permissions granted for one-off houses.

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

Dick Roche: My reply to Questions Nos. 1504 and 1505 of 25 January 2006 did not state that it is Government policy to require local authorities to set a standing charge for waste collection services provided by them. Many local authorities do not have a standing charge and rely exclusively on usage based charges. It is the case that, in accordance with section 52 of the Protection of the Environment Act...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The River Lickey was proposed for designation as a special area of conservation, SAC, in 2003 as an extension to the Blackwater river SAC. As required under section 4 of the habitats regulations, my Department notified the other relevant Departments and planning authorities of the intention to designate. In January 2003, officials of my Department furnished Waterford County Council with full...

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

Dick Roche: Some €3.7 billion will be spent under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 on the provision of water services infrastructure. Substantial increases in water treatment and storage capacity are being achieved as a result of this investment. Schemes completed since 1997 have produced additional drinking water treatment capacity equivalent to the needs of a population of 1,073,000. The...

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

Dick Roche: The EPA reports on water quality in Ireland present a review of water quality in various water bodies, including groundwaters, and identify suspected causes of pollution. The EPA also provides details of the quality of urban waste water discharges and sewage sludges in its reports on urban waste water discharges in Ireland. Both reports are available in the Oireachtas Library. Local...

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

Dick Roche: I understand methane gas is not released in a well operated and maintained waste water collection or treatment system. Sludge is a waste water treatment by-product and the generation of methane gas for use as a fuel may be a beneficial feature of sludge treatment, in particular anaerobic digestion. Sludge treatment facilities should not release methane into the environment in the course of...

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

Dick Roche: My Department has more than 3,700 suppliers of goods and services. It would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work to examine the files relating to all contracts held with those suppliers over the last four years and compile the details referred to in the question. If the Deputy wishes to indicate a particular more limited area of interest, my Department will seek to provide the...

Written Answers — Radon Gas: Radon Gas (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: During the years 1992 to 1999, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, RPII, carried out a nationwide survey of radon gas in domestic dwellings. The survey involved the measurement of radon for a 12-month period in a random selection of homes in each 10 km x 10 km grid square throughout the country. The results of the survey were used to predict the percentage of houses in each grid...

Written Answers — Public Service Vehicles: Public Service Vehicles (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: The information requested for the years 2000 to 2004, inclusive, is published in table 8 of the annual Irish Bulletin of Vehicle and Driver Statistics, available in the Oireachtas Library. The details for the year 2005 are set out in the following table. Taxi Hackney Limousine Total County Councils Carlow 103 78 5 186 Cavan 40 106 146 Clare 150...

Building Control Bill 2005: Second Stage. (14 Feb 2006)

Dick Roche: We were all looking at Deputy Quinn in admiration.