Results 5,421-5,440 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Coastal Protection: Coastal Protection (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I understand that a report has been prepared on the results of trial pit excavations on this site by Wicklow County Council. This has now been sent to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council for its consideration also, as the facility affects both functional areas. Both authorities are then expected to meet to consider possible options in relation to the site. Generally, the costs associated...

Written Answers — Wildlife Conservation: Wildlife Conservation (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: There are a number of measures in place to protect whales in Irish waters. Under the Whale Fisheries Act 1937, the catching or treating of whales by any ship within the exclusive fishery limits of the State is prohibited. In 1991 Ireland declared all our seas a whale and dolphin sanctuary as a further indication of our commitment to conserve and protect these species. At the international...

Written Answers — Archaeological Sites: Archaeological Sites (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: On 11 May 2005, I issued directions requiring the protection of the Viking site at Woodstown and announced the establishment of a working group to advise on the long-term strategy to preserve and manage the site. Security arrangements are in place to preserve the integrity of the site. Subsequently nominees for the working group were sought and received from the National Museum of Ireland,...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: There have been nine judgments against Ireland delivered by the European Court of Justice, which relate to areas for which my Department has responsibility. The Commission has indicated that another five cases are being referred to the court and four cases are before the court for a hearing. The Community legislation involved in these cases includes directives on environmental impact...

Written Answers — Nuclear Safety: Nuclear Safety (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: On 15 September 2005, British Nuclear Group discovered a small leak in one of the marine discharge pipelines at Sellafield. This particular pipeline is 2.5 km. in length and the leak occurred 500 m. out to sea. My Department was advised of this incident on 16 September in accordance with the established procedures for the exchange of information in relation to such incidents, which were...

Written Answers — Environment Fund: Environment Fund (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: The environment fund is used to support a wide range of waste management, litter and other environmental initiatives as provided for in section 74(9) of the Waste Management Act 1996, as inserted by section 12 of the Waste Management (Amendment) Act 2001 and the Waste Management (Environment Fund) (Prescribed Payments) Regulations 2003. Total receipts on a cash basis in each year into the...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: It is Government policy to enhance biodiversity throughout the countryside and to maintain and enhance the populations of flora and wild fauna in Ireland. In this context, it is an offence under section 40 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended by section 46 of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000, to cut, grub, burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch during the...

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: Responsibility for the enforcement of the building regulations is a matter for the 37 local building control authorities. Statistics furnished by local building control authorities for 2004 show that 56 enforcement notices were served by building control authorities for non-compliance with the building regulations; and 41 prosecutions were initiated. The relevant statistics do not give a...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions in millions of tonnes of CO2 equivalent and in percentage increases on 1990 values for each year to 2003 are set out as follows. These figures are taken from the latest available EPA annual national inventory report detailing greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of the economy. Year Mt CO2 % Increase on 1990 % 1990 53.974 1991 54.853...

Written Answers — Community Warden Scheme: Community Warden Scheme (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: There are five pilot local authorities operating the community warden service, Naas Town Council, Galway City Council, Galway County Council, Leitrim County Council and Wexford County Council. Following an independent review and evaluation of the pilot service in 2004, I decided that grant assistance of the pilots should continue for one more year. The question of the continuation and-or...

Written Answers — Regional Road Network: Regional Road Network (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: The provision and improvement of non-national roads in County Kildare is a matter for Kildare County Council to be funded from its own resources supplemented by State grants. Kildare County Council is responsible for carrying out road improvements on the R402 road known as the Enfield to Edenderry road and, accordingly, the advancement of works on this road is a matter for the council. My...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I understand that methane gas is not generated in the treatment of public water supplies.

Written Answers — Pollution Levels: Pollution Levels (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: The most recent report, Dioxin Levels in the Irish Environment — Third Assessment, Summer 2004, based on levels in cows' milk, was issued by the Environmental Protection Agency on 18 October 2005. A 2004 national survey on which the report is based was carried out between late May and early July, during the peak outdoor grazing season. A series of milk samples was taken from representative...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: Air quality assessment is the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency and air quality management a matter for local authorities informed by air quality measurement data. The extent of local air quality monitoring and the adequacy of monitoring equipment is a matter for the relevant local authority in the first instance and in consultation with the agency in the overall national...

Written Answers — National Development Plan: National Development Plan (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 78, 81, 119, 131 and 268 of 9 February 2005. In summary, I am satisfied my Department is making good progress overall in meeting the budgetary and output targets in the implementation of measures under the national development plan. While certain measures were slow to show progress initially, expenditure on, and output rates of, such measures have...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: The selection of locations for landfill sites is a matter for local authorities as part of their waste management planning role. All local authorities have made local and regional waste management plans which evaluate and identify the need for specific waste management infrastructure, and address considerations relevant to the location of facilities. Landfills, and other significant waste...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: The lower Liffey Valley sewerage scheme has been approved for construction in my Department's water services investment programme 2004-2006 at an estimated cost of €30 million. The scheme provides for sewer rehabilitation works at Mill Lane, Leixlip. Kildare County Council's contract documents for the scheme are under examination in my Department and are being dealt with as quickly as...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: The Milltown sewerage scheme was 15th in the list of water and sewerage schemes submitted by Kildare County Council in response to my Department's request to all local authorities to undertake fresh assessments of the needs for capital works in their areas and to prioritise their proposals on the basis of the assessments. The assessments were taken into account in the framing of the water...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 1386 of 28 September 2005.

Written Answers — Animal Diseases: Animal Diseases (25 Oct 2005)

Dick Roche: I do not consider such a prohibition to be warranted at present. However, the position is being kept under review. My Department, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture and Food, is considering possible additional measures that may need to be taken should the virus reach western Europe, including limiting or stopping the hunting of wild birds. The timing and scale of any such...