Results 4,661-4,680 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I can understand how any Leader group or community organisation would be concerned about its future because there are a number of well-paid people in such organisations. In Galway, for example, Comhairle Ceantar na nOileán Teo. has five staff, and the CEO is paid €53,000. The CEO of Forum Connemara is paid €84,000. The total number of staff is 17, of which the rural...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: It could be at the lower end, but it has a low budget. In proportion to their budget, one can see that the level of administrative costs associated with these particular entities is unacceptable. I want to protect the delivery of front-line services to these particular areas, but I will certainly not countenance setting up a structure that will gobble up an enormous amount of money in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I know that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I know the Minister of the day was very anxious that he would have another structure. He certainly had four structures in his own areas, so fair play to him.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: You have Údarás na Gaeltachta as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I do not know how many other structures are needed to deliver a programme in Connemara.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Given the finances we are likely to have, I do not think that is a luxury we can afford. I agree with the Deputy, however, that a strong urban centre is essential for stronger rural areas. There is a magnet in Galway city, but the challenge is to get people beyond that. That is where the programmes are needed. There have been a lot of rural development programmes in the Deputy's area and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I cannot dictate to the population of the Ballina municipal area who they should elect. If there are between six and ten seats in the electoral area, I am sure the people where there is greatest population will ensure they have good representation. Those outside the area will have an equal opportunity to vote for people, irrespective of whether they are from urban or rural areas. There is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I will take the last question first. I always subscribe to the view that if people expect a service, they must have a tax clearance certificate for any goods and services supplied. That is the way it will be. I do not expect 72% of the people who pay charges will expect the other 28% to be carried by them. I hope the Deputy supports me in that, as his party is doing in Northern Ireland. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I thank Deputy Calleary for his questions. We are looking at urban settlements. The gateway and hub concepts under the last national spatial strategy have not worked. While it was nice for an area to have a title, there were no resources available to it owing to the subsequent downturn. We are reviewing the national spatial strategy. A scoping document is currently being drawn up, which...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Yes. Everything is up for review in terms of title and designation. Many designations have taken place but nothing has happened. I do not think there is much to be gained from having a title if nothing happens. As mentioned by Deputy Calleary, under the current national spatial strategy projects in hub towns or gateway areas are prohibited from accessing funding under the rural...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Rural Communities Report: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I hope I will not upset the rules of privilege in any way. I thank the committee for giving me the opportunity to talk about the issues facing rural Ireland now and in the future. Community issues must be central for those of us engaged in serving the public. The Department is committed to doing what is best for all our communities. I acknowledge the time and effort the authors have put...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Programme for Government and the Memorandum of Understanding with the EU, the IMF and the ECB provide for the introduction of domestic water charges. It is not intended that domestic water charges will commence before 2014. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has decided that water meters should be installed in households...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 441, 455 and 470 together. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has therefore decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies. Irish Water, a new State-owned water company to be established as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 201 3, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, includes a contract for wastewater treatment plants and associated networks for the Belmullet, Foxford and Charlestown Sewerage Scheme to advance to construction during the period of the Programme at an estimated cost of €14.3 million. The...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Asbestos Remediation Programme (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: My Department does not have any grant available specific to the removal of asbestos from homes. However, the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability provide a range of grants for necessary improvement works or adaptations to houses in order to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their own homes by older people and people with a disability....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in County Mayo. The Killala Sewerage Scheme is included in the Programme amongst the list of contracts in the county to start in the period 2010 – 2013. The inclusion of the scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in County Mayo. The Programme includes contracts under construction and to commence to the value of some €71 million in Co. Mayo during the period of the Programme. However, the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: European Parliament Elections (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Article 14.2 of the Treaty on European Union sets an overall ceiling of 751 seats for the European Parliament. There is a need to readjust the distribution of seats in the Parliament to take account of the accession of Croatia in 2013. This will need to be done in good time before the 2014 elections. The right of initiative on this matter rests with the European Parliament. The European...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (12 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 449 and 475 to 477, inclusive, together. On 25 June 2012 I signed the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012 Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems ( Registration ) Regulations 2012 , prescribing 1 February 2013 as the date by which householders must register their domestic waste water treatment system s . Written and on-line registration facilities , with a...