Results 5,241-5,260 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

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

Phil Hogan: The looped walk under development at Bolus Head has a road link with the Kerry Way from Allagheemore to Cloghanecanuig, which includes a short section of the R566. This link provides for the Bolus Head looped walk to join up with the Kerry Way. It is not intended to develop an off road extension or further link to the Kerry Way.

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

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 to 396, inclusive, together. My Department does not compile the information requested relating to public sewer networks. The EPA, however, reports on the quality of effluents discharged from treatment plants, sewers or drainage pipes that are controlled or used by local authorities. The EPA latest report Focus on Urban Waste Water Discharges in Ireland...

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

Phil Hogan: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Review Implementation Plan was published on 31 January 2012 and is available on my Department's website . Implementation of the recommendations is underway. The plan contains a list of actions arising from the review, some of which are a matter for my Department and others which are the responsibility of the EPA and others. I prioritised a large...

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

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 399 and 400 together. The operational implications of the transfer of waste collection services by City and County Councils to private operators are matters in the first instance for the local authorities concerned.  My Department’s role is to provide a comprehensive legislative and waste policy framework through which the enforcement...

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 Household Charge is on a self-assessment basis and it is a matter for an owner of a residential...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (4 Dec 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Programme for the development of national climate policy and legislation is being progressed having regard to the commitment in the Programme for Government to provide a clear pathway for emissions reductions, and to Ireland's challenging greenhouse gas mitigation targets which are binding under European Union law. A copy of the policy development programme is available on my...

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

Phil Hogan: The Government’s new waste policy, A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, published in July 2012, sets out the actions through which Ireland will make the further progress necessary to become a recycling society, with a clear focus on resource efficiency and the virtual elimination of landfilling of municipal waste.  The policy contains measures to ensure...

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

Phil Hogan: The main ambient air quality monitoring programme in Ireland is carried out to meet the requirements of EU Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, also known as the CAFE Directive. The Directive sets legally binding limit values, and target values for a range of pollutants and requires that certain minimum levels of monitoring is conducted for the purpose of...

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

Phil Hogan: The Action Programme for Effective Local Government - Putting People First reinforces local government as the primary means of public service delivery at local level. The programme sets out a comprehensive range of measures to address the challenges of the local government system. The sustainable funding of local government is one such challenge and the programme provides for a strengthening...

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

Phil Hogan: Responsibility for the administration of the Rural Water Programme, which includes group water schemes, group sewerage schemes and small public water and sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The block grant allocations provided by my Department to the water services authorities are based, in the first instance, on the requests for funding received from the...

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

Phil Hogan: In law, the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter for each local registration authority. It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. While there have been improvements in these regards in recent years, I am satisfied that further improvements can be made. The Programme for Government...

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

Phil Hogan: Participation in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change process is an important element of Ireland’s, and the EU’s, engagement in international environmental issues. This is especially so in the context of Ireland’s role as incoming EU Presidency, during which we will be responsible for leading the EU’s follow-up work to the Doha Conference of the Parties...

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

Phil Hogan: I presume the question refers to the D'Hondt system, also known as the highest average method , for appointing Councillors to chairs and to local authority committees. Part 7 of the Local Government Act 2001 makes provision for local authorities to establish committees including Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs). Guidance issued by my Department in relation to the involvement of...

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

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 425 to 427, inclusive, together. In 2008, a joint confidential technical information exchange project relating to Sellafield and its associated facilities was set up by the Irish and British Governments. The shared objective of the project was to provide an established co-operative process for sharing information and addressing any technical issues arising....

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

Phil Hogan: The Action Programme for Effective Local Government: Putting People First, which I published in October 2012 following Government approval, sets out the Government’s decision regarding new arrangements at regional level. Regional structures will be revised and strengthened through the replacement of the present eight regional authorities and two regional assemblies by three new...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges (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 and for the collection of water charges from households. The Government has also decided to assign responsibility for the economic regulation of the water...

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

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos . 67 and 69 on today’s order paper which sets out the position on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Collection (29 Nov 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 and the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 provide the legislative basis for the Household Charge. Section 4(3) of the Act provides that where a person who is the sole owner of a residential property dies, the personal representative of the deceased person is not, in respect of that residential property, liable to pay the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Collection (29 Nov 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 and the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 provide the legislative basis for the Household Charge. Under the legislation, an owner of a residential property on the liability date is liable to pay the household charge, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver. Section 3(4) of the Act provides that where a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Community Development (29 Nov 2012)

Phil Hogan: Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta (MFG), the group contracted by my Department to deliver Axes 3 & 4 (LEADER) of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) in Irish Language Areas, went into liquidation on 7 September 2011. P rogress, in the context of the legal “winding up” process, is currently ongoing. Local Action Groups in contiguous geographical areas have been engaged...