Results 4,661-4,680 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (30 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: A small proportion of Ireland's peatlands is designated for conservation purposes under the Habitats Directive or the Wildlife Acts. Landowners and holders of turbary rights on blanket bogs within Special Areas of Conservation or Natural Heritage Areas can cut turf for their own domestic use. Since 1999, the use of sausage machines is not permitted in these areas. However, hoppers, or...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (30 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: The EU Habitats Directive requires Member States to maintain or restore the favourable conservation status of specified habitats and species. This is done through designating appropriate sites as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and protecting them. Designation of a site as an SAC may have implications for landowners, as management and use of these lands must have regard to protection...

Written Answers — Special Protection Areas: Special Protection Areas (30 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: The EU Birds Directive requires Member States to maintain or restore the favourable conservation status of specified species of wild birds. This is done through designating appropriate sites as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and protecting them. Designation of a site as an SPA may have implications for landowners, as management and use of these lands must have regard to protection of the...

Written Answers — Special Protection Areas: Special Protection Areas (30 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: A breakdown of proposed Special Protection Areas on a county by county basis accompanies this reply. Many sites cross county boundaries and may, therefore, feature on more than one county list. I expect that the completed suite of SPA sites will consist of one hundred and fifty two sites countrywide and that these should be advertised, notified to landowners and designated by Statutory...

Written Answers — Price Increases: Price Increases (30 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: Motor tax rates were increased, with effect from 1 February 2008, by 9.5% for cars below 2.5 litres and 11% for cars above that threshold. Goods and all other vehicles also increased by 9.5% with no increase for electric vehicles. In addition, trade plate licences were increased by 9.5%. Further motor tax increases, announced as part of Budget 2009, will come into effect from 1 January...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (30 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: Milltown is included for funding in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009 as part of a grouped sewerage scheme to service a number of towns and villages in Co Kerry. I understand that work on the waste water collection system for Milltown is in progress and that Kerry County Council expects to award the contract for the treatment plant contract shortly.

Boundary Commission. (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: At the outset, it might be helpful if I set out the background to this matter for the House. A review of local electoral areas was necessary prior to the 2009 local elections on account of population changes since the last review in 1998. Accordingly, on 8 January 2008, I announced that I had established two committees to review local electoral areas and I detailed the terms of reference....

Boundary Commission. (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: Under the Local Government Act 1991, the Minister is required to publish a report furnished to him by a boundary committee. I received both reports on 16 June and published them the following day. A copy of each report was laid before each House and a copy was sent to each Member of the Oireachtas. In carrying out their work the committees undertook public consultation, which involved...

Boundary Commission. (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: In fact, it was a member of the Labour Party who made the only submission which suggested that Sandymount should be split. When publishing the reports on 17 June 2008, I announced that, consistent with long-established practice in respect of constituency formation at European, national and local levels in Ireland, I was accepting the recommendations contained in them. It is my view that to...

Boundary Commission. (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: Recently, the Deputy and her party readily agreed in this House to the recommendations of the constituency commission on Dáil and European constituencies, as set out in the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008. Is she now proposing that we abandon this approach to constituency formation in Ireland and set off on the road back to a time when electoral boundaries appeared to be set according to...

Boundary Commission. (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: On this side of the House, we are not prepared to do that. I will therefore be making the necessary orders to give effect to the recommendations in the reports as soon as possible. The local electoral areas established by these orders will apply at the 2009 local elections. Deputy Creighton was relatively measured this evening in her response, but I have seen some of the literature put out...

Boundary Commission. (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: Some of the comments made at that meeting were libellous. I do not recall any Minister in this House ever rejecting an independent boundary report.

Boundary Commission. (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: Either Fine Gael believes in independent boundary reviews, or it does not.

Water Quality. (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. A significant range of water services projects are being progressed in South Tipperary at present, with the support of unprecedented Exchequer funding from my Department. I am pleased that a record provision of €560 million, an increase of 19% over 2008, will be available for water services in 2009. This is the clearest possible statement by the...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: Section 35 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides that a planning authority may decide to refuse to grant planning permission to an applicant where, in the view of that authority, the person or company concerned is not in compliance with a previous planning permission. The applicant concerned may apply to the High Court which may by order confirm or annul the decision of the...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: I will give careful consideration to this matter in the context of the forthcoming Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill, the General Scheme of which I will shortly be bringing to Government for approval.

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: I understand that a cheque for €830 has been issued to the vendor's solicitor as a deposit for the purchase of the initial plot of land. The Chief State Solicitor's Office requested additional documentation from the vendor's solicitors on 23 October 2008, and this has yet to be received. On receipt of satisfactory documentation, the Chief State Solicitor will arrange for the close of the...

Written Answers — County Development Plans: County Development Plans (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: The Meath County Development Plan 2007-2013 sets out a framework for the proper planning and sustainable development of the county, taking account of a range of national and regional policy objectives and priorities. It envisages a holistic and integrated approach to the delivery of the necessary infrastructure and services for the county, while also preserving and enhancing the...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: My Department has received the report by the Ombudsman Waste Waiver Schemes Administered by Local Authorities and will be giving the report, and in particular the recommendations contained within it, full consideration. Waste management services have traditionally been provided at a local level, with individual arrangements being locally determined and tailored to local circumstances. The...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (29 Oct 2008)

John Gormley: I understand that the question relates to the Water Services Investment Programme. Expenditure in respect of individual schemes under the Programme is recouped by my Department following examination of the local authority's payment claim to determine the amount of eligible expenditure due to the authority in accordance with the approved budget for the particular scheme. Claims may include...