Results 5,201-5,220 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Quality (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: Following the European Court of Justice judgment against Ireland in October 2009, my Department commenced the preparation of legislation to ensure compliance with the Court’s ruling; this included extensive stakeholder consultations between October and November 2010. On taking office in March, 2011, I prioritised the finalisation of the legislation and this culminated with the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Government has decided that Irish Water, a new State-owned water company to be established as an independent subsidiary within the Bord Gáis Éireann Group, will be responsible for the domestic water metering programme. The Government has recently approved the preparation of legislation to assign the necessary powers to allow Irish Water to undertake the metering programme. A...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 88, 90, 94 and 96 together. The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 provides that the Environmental Protection Agency will make the National Inspection Plan for domestic wastewater treatment systems. A public consultation on a draft plan was publicised by the Agency on 11 October 2012. The submissions received are currently being reviewed by the Agency...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: National Countryside Recreation Strategy (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: My Department convenes and supports regular meetings of Comhairle Na Tuaithe (The Countryside Council) where the implementation of the priorities of the National Countryside Recreation Strategy (NCRS) is discussed and progressed. This strategy sets out the main policy and strategic objectives to be achieved over time and provides a focus for the delivery of outdoor recreation facilities and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 411 together. The overall strategy of investment in water services is to ensure that the timing and scale of investment facilitates economic and other development, achieves compliance with statutory requirements and promotes environmental sustainability objectives. The main vehicle for achieving these objectives for public domestic water supplies is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: In its report the Pyrite Panel recommended that an industry expert group be established by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) to develop an Irish testing protocol capable of determining whether there is reactive pyrite in the sub-floor material and if it has caused pyritic heave. A number of companies and consultancies have developed testing protocols to meet their own...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Development Companies (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: There are no proposals to integrate local development companies with local authorities. The Action Programme for Effective Local Government - Putting People First recommends greater alignment between local government and local development, including the 51 local development companies that currently deliver important programmes for my Department. This improved alignment will involve, inter...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: While overall staffing figures for local authorities are collected on a quarterly basis by my Department specific figures relating to the number of staff working in local authority housing maintenance departments are not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Referendum Arrangements (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 110 together. Arrangements for the holding of referendums are set out in the Referendum Acts 1994 to 2001. In accordance with the Referendum Acts the costs of running a referendum are met by the Minister for Finance from the Central Fund on the request of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the costs of the Referendum Commission are met...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: Mayo North East Leader Partnership (MNELP) is the Local Action Group contracted by my Department to deliver both the Rural Development Programme (RDP) and the Local Community Development Programme (LCDP) to the North Mayo area. On foot of correspondence I received in 2011 regarding a possible governance issue at Mayo North East LEADER Partnership Company, I directed my Department to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Rural Development (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: I established a Commission to investigate the potential for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) in September 2012 in order to facilitate a detailed examination of the current status of the rural economy in Ireland. Mr Pat Spillane has been appointed Chair of the Commission and to date the Commission has met twice. It is an independent body and I have no involvement in its work...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Pyrite Issues (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: Standard Recommendation (SR) 21:2004+A1:2007 provides specific guidance on reducing the risk of reactive forms of pyrite being present in hardcore material for use under concrete floors in dwellings and buildings. It includes a n example specification (Annex E) for unbound granular fill for use under concrete floors and paths and limits the total sulphur content to 1%. The example...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Reports (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: The EU-IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland contains a commitment to introduce a property tax for 2012. The Programme reflects the need, in the context of the State's overall financial position, to put the funding of locally-delivered services on a sound financial footing, improve accountability and better align the cost of providing services with the demand for such services. It...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Collection (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides the legislative basis for the household charge. Under the Act, an owner of a residential property on the liability date of 1 January 2012 is liable to pay the Household Charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver. The Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) is administering the Household Charge system on a shared...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: RAPID Programme (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: The RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) Programme directs State assistance towards improving quality of life and access to opportunities for communities in fifty one of the most disadvantaged areas in the country. In May 2009, Ballina, Co. Mayo, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath and Rathkeale, Co. Limerick were...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: The overall strategy of investment in water services is to ensure that the timing and scale of investment facilitates economic and other development, achieves compliance with statutory requirements and promotes environmental sustainability objectives. The main vehicle for achieving these objectives for public wastewater infrastructure is the multi-annual Water Services Investment Programme. ...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Fire Service (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Chief Fire Officer is the senior technical position in local authority fire services and is generally a Senior Engineer equivalent grade. At the most recent count, there are 203 Senior Fire Officers, including the 29 Chief Fire Officers. Fire services are provided from 220 fire stations, by 3,233 firefighters using a fleet of some 500 vehicles. Staffing in the fire services, comes within...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Priory Hall Development (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 113 together. The resolution process, which I understand is on-going, arose in the context of legal proceedings which were adjourned to afford relevant parties the opportunity to work together, under the chairmanship of Mr. Justice Finnegan (retired President of the High Court), to identify a way forward in relation to the complex problems at Priory...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Collection (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government Management Agency is administering the Household Charge system on a shared service/agency basis for all county and city councils. The Household Charge is on a self-assessment basis and it is a matter for an owner of a residential property on the liability date to determine if he or she has a liability and, if so, to declare that liability and pay the Charge. There was...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Taxation (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: Under the existing system of making off-the-road declarations, vehicles are declared off the road retrospectively. The use of such declarations is increasing with a consequent loss to the Local Government Fund (LGF), which provides funding to local authorities and the roads programme of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. While in some cases declarations will be genuine, it is...