Results 4,681-4,700 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Environmental Protection: Environmental Protection (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1430 and 1447 together. In common with most EU member states, Ireland has neither signed nor ratified the 1998 Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law. Only Estonia has ratified the convention to date. In 2001 the European Commission brought forward a proposal for a directive which comprised the main elements of...

Written Answers — Compulsory Purchase Orders: Compulsory Purchase Orders (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: The legislation governing compulsory land acquisition by local authorities provides for the payment of compensation for lands acquired by them on the authorisation of a duly confirmed CPO. The amount of compensation payable by local authorities for land acquired by them is solely a matter for negotiation between the landowner and the local authority concerned. In the event of dispute, either...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take questions Nos. 1433, 1437 and 1438 together. My Department is co-operating with the Department of Finance, the decentralisation implementation group, and the Office of Public Works to ensure the Government's decentralisation programme is implemented efficiently and effectively. A decentralisation implementation team has been established to oversee the arrangements for the...

Written Answers — Architectural Heritage: Architectural Heritage (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: No request has been made to fund this project to my Department. As a protected structure on Kilkenny Borough Council's record of protected structures, the owners of the Rothe House would be eligible to apply to the council for a grant under the scheme of architectural protection grants which is administered by local authorities and resourced by my Department. The standard amount of grant is...

Written Answers — Marine Conservation: Marine Conservation (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: In common with other EU member states, Ireland has an obligation to complete the designation of special areas of conservation for certain marine habitats and species. Following on this obligation, my Department has transmitted some 420 candidate SACs for adoption by the European Commission, of which more than 70 have a marine element and 28 were chosen principally for the wealth of their...

Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: Statutory responsibility for the monitoring and management of water quality lies primarily with local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency and, in relation to marine waters, with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Marine Institute. Phthalates comprise a group of substances which are widely used in the plastics industry and which are of...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: The Clifden sewerage scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 as a scheme to start construction in 2007. Further consideration will be given by my Department to Galway County Council's preliminary report, supplementary site location report and hydrographic marine survey for the scheme on receipt of additional information my Department has requested...

Written Answers — Public Safety Zones: Public Safety Zones (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department is currently preparing draft guidelines for planning authorities on public safety zones at State airports and in this context is considering the ERM recommendations. When the draft guidelines are completed they will be issued for public consultation.

Written Answers — Environmental Impact Statements: Environmental Impact Statements (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: The threshold above which an environmental impact statement is required in connection with applications for waste transfer stations is a waste intake of 25,000 tonnes per annum. The threshold was originally set in 1989 in respect of waste disposal installations generally and there is no proposal to review it.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: The Belmullet and Foxford sewerage schemes are being advanced as a joint project and are approved in my Department's water services investment programme 2005-07 to commence construction this year. Further consideration will be given by my Department to Mayo County Council's preliminary reports and water services pricing policy reports for both schemes on receipt of the additional information...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 475 of 13 December 2005. Proceeds from the sale of assets such as land are applied for the replacement of the disposed asset, the purchase of other assets or for other appropriate purposes approved by the local authority.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: To date, Ireland has not invoked Article 23 of Directive 2001/18/EC. At the Environment Council on 24 June 2005, the European Commission tabled proposals to overturn invocations under this article by other member states in respect of a number of genetically modified products. Ireland voted against the Commission's proposals.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: To date, my Department has not requested the European Commission to consult the relevant scientific committee under the provisions of Article 28 of Directive 2001/18/EC. However, before a proposal on the placing on the market of a product in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC comes to the regulatory committee for consideration, the European Commission, as a matter of course, consults the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: Ireland was among a number of member states that abstained on the proposal to place on the market an oilseed rape product at the meeting of the regulatory committee for the purposes of Directive 2001/18/EC on 16 June 2004. At that meeting, our abstention had regard to the long-standing positive but precautionary approach to modern biotechnology endorsed by successive Governments; the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: There is a requirement on the European Commission to report this year to the Council and the European Parliament on the implementation and operation of the various strands of the EU-wide legislative framework relating to genetically modified organisms. I expect that the question of whether procedural changes are warranted will be addressed in that report and considered further by the...

Written Answers — Fire Service: Fire Service (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: Under the EU civil protection mechanism, when a request for assistance is received at the monitoring and information centre, this request is transmitted to all of the member states and offers of assistance are co-ordinated by the MIC and relayed to the requesting country. The requesting country then decides which offers, or elements of offers, to accept. Ireland participates fully in the EU...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: In January 2004, local authorities were asked to review their capital programmes for library development and to submit a prioritised list of proposals which they wished to have considered by my Department in its review of the programme. In its submission, Fingal County Council listed Rush as joint third. In October last year, I announced funding for 13 library projects. Due to the existing...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: My Department is providing full funding, at an approved cost of €7.8 million, for the Shannon River basin district project. This commenced in November 2002 and is led jointly by Limerick County Council, Clare County Council and Roscommon County Council on behalf of the 18 participating local authorities in the Shannon River basin district. It is one of several projects established by local...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: The provision and improvement of non-national roads in County Louth is a matter for Louth County Council to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State grants. In March 2005, Louth County Council submitted an outline proposal to my Department as regards a Drogheda Northern Cross port access route. That document identified a number of possible sources of funding but provided no...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (25 Jan 2006)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1457 and 1469 together. These schemes, which are being advanced as part of a grouped project, have been approved to commence construction in 2007 in my Department's water services investment programme 2005-07. Further consideration will be given to Limerick County Council's fee proposals for the consultants selected to prepare preliminary reports for the...