Results 5,041-5,060 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: The repetition that this country is failing to meet its targets is patent nonsense given that we are talking about a period from 2008. Time and again, I have outlined to the Deputy, who does not like to hear facts, the reductions from 31% in 2001 and 29% in 2002 to 25% in 2003, the last year for which figures are available. I also said very frankly to him that, as economic——

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy is now showing that he has a very flawed grasp of basic numeric accuracy. With all due respect to him——

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: ——25% is not higher than 29% or 31%.

Nuclear Plants. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 15 and 107 together. I met the Secretary of State for the Department of Trade and Industry, Mr. Alan Johnson, in London on 19 October. The primary focus of our meeting was a discussion on the incident at the THORP plant in Sellafield last April. I took the opportunity to widen the discussion and set out Ireland's views on other nuclear issues, including the...

Nuclear Plants. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I share Deputy Stagg's view exactly on privatisation in this industry. Given the litany of extraordinary behaviour, particularly in BNFL, over the years, we share a common concern on this issue. With regard to whether THORP will start up again, and it still has not yet re-started, my primary concern was that there would not be an extension beyond 2010 of either the contracts or THORP. I...

Nuclear Plants. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I have not been informed of what stage the review has reached. At that time the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority was in its relatively early days. The issue I focused on was the closure date. I did not want any excuse to arise from the protracted period of its closure to be used to extend it beyond 2010.

Nuclear Plants. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I agree we will have to make it clear. It is important that this debate in the House is heard. There is unanimity in the House that this is playing with fire. We are aware of the dangers of nuclear power and this nation is committed to remaining non-nuclear. I will continue to make that point in our contacts. We will also use the stakeholder process to put down our marker. The Deputy asked if...

Nuclear Plants. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: They are closing THORP down by 2010. That is precisely the point we were making about the date for the closure. Our big concern about THORP was to ensure that it would be closed down by 2010. We will continue to press that issue.

Nuclear Plants. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I had not thought of the strategy of attending the meeting. It is a good point and I will bear it in mind when we get closer to it. Prime Minister Blair's speech was at lunchtime today. I do not disagree with the Deputy. There is a determination in some parts of the British Government to push ahead with this. However, I get the feeling that there is not the same determination in other parts...

Nuclear Plants. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: It is strange how people have changed on this issue in that country. There does not appear to be the unanimity there might be on it. One does not know what would happen if there was a change in management. Let us hope for the best but prepare for the worst. In fact, I will take up the Deputy's suggestion and examine the option of attending the stakeholder consultation process.

Election Management System. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: Governments in different jurisdictions, including the UK, will adopt varying approaches to electoral issues according to their own circumstances and priorities at any given time. For example, the UK operates a first past the post electoral system and it is not advocated in this House that the UK should be an exemplar for us in this regard. The Government decision in February 2000 to move to...

Election Management System. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: The confidence in our counting ability is such that the Deputy should breathe a sigh of relief.

Election Management System. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I am familiar with the Deputy's views on the issue. With regard to the UK, 27 different pilot projects were carried out, with the forms of voting ranging from SMS text voting — I do not understand how that would work — to Internet, postal and electronic voting, which would be a similar process to our own. More recently, the focus in the last British general election was on the large-scale...

Election Management System. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: There was a degree of enthusiasm when the idea was piloted here. If we all had the benefit of hindsight at the time——

Election Management System. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I do not wish to be disingenuous as I do not know what the Deputy stated at the time, but the Deputy would have demonstrated more prescience than other members of the Opposition. The Deputy asked if we will give the machines away, but that would not be a sensible suggestion.

Election Management System. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: A charge would have to be paid if I sold them on. I am looking at the storage issue and I hope to resolve it as I am seeking to identify a storage location with my colleagues. It does not serve a purpose to have the machines in expensive storage on a decentralised basis. They will not be used in the 2007 elections, but I would not hold my breath after that time.

Election Management System. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy is correct and we should facilitate people's voting. In the British debate on electronic and Internet voting in particular, a possibility that was thought attractive was that people vote in a booth in a supermarket.

Election Management System. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: Given our experience we should make haste slowly. I agree with the Deputy in that changing lifestyles have necessitated that voting be made easier. We should encourage people to vote and ensure we have a proper voting register.

Election Management System. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: I should be so lucky.

Election Management System. (29 Nov 2005)

Dick Roche: Courtesy demands we wait until Deputy Cuffe asks his question. I will then answer all three questions.