Results 5,541-5,560 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Other Questions: Property Taxation (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: No, it is a separate fund. Under a community initiative provided for in legislation implemented by Deputy Cowen's party in government, it will be possible to raise money locally. There is nothing new in this.

Other Questions: Property Taxation (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: No.

Other Questions: Property Taxation (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: I realise full well that people are under pressure and this will be taken into account in any budgetary proposal that will be made by the Government. We are obliged to deal with a highly difficult situation and doing so is not easy on families, particularly people who have mortgages they are unable to pay. It was for this reason that I exempted from the household charge people in receipt of...

Other Questions: Property Taxation (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: I am glad the Deputy remembers him.

Other Questions: Property Taxation (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: Many of the suggestions made by Deputies Mick Wallace and Finian McGrath could be brought forward as valid proposals once the issue of the budgetary position has been resolved. The Deputies will be able to make these points and have an opportunity to reflect on what is or is not in the budget based on the assertions they have made today. We are striving to introduce an equitable property...

Other Questions: Property Taxation (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy should not be hypocritical on this issue. Sinn Féin cannot have it every way. It seeks to have the household charge abolished, while imposing a charge of €1,400 per household in Northern Ireland. This shows its hypocrisy on the issue of a united Ireland.

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: Yet.

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: We estimate there are 475,000 septic tanks in the country. A total of 250,000 have been registered and some post remains to be opened since 30 September. The closing date for registration at a cost of €50 is 1 February 2013. Those who advised others not to pay the €5 charge will have to explain to them why it will now cost them a further €45.

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: I am delighted to hear Deputy Stanley saying the regulations are not onerous because that is exactly what I have been saying for seven or eight months-----

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: We have negotiated successfully with the European Commission, something my predecessor, Deputy Ó Cuív, was unable to do. The issue of financial support does not come into play yet because we do not know the level of problems that may arise as a result of the inspections. However, I refer to the situation in Cavan which is our only example arising from the judgment of the European...

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: I know the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will be very interested to know there will not be an annual inspection charge of €300, as proposed by our predecessors-----

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: It was proposed and I can give the Deputy the document. There will not be an annual inspection.

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: I can see the Deputy is upset.

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: I do not blame the Deputy for being upset. Withdraw that remark.

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: There was a proposal for a charge of €300 for an annual inspection of every septic tank. The 2009 EPA regulations were supposed to be implemented for every inspection. I am delighted to inform the Deputy and every other Deputy, as I have informed the committee, that this will not be the case.

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: The regulations I have outlined will not change. In respect of compliance with the European Court of Justice judgment, which I inherited and which is costing €26,000 a day and €3.7 million as a lump sum fine, these regulations will not change. In reply to Deputy Wallace, there is personal responsibility. If people are in the business of contaminating their own or their...

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: We went into a lot of detail about the minutiae of the issue. If Deputy Wallace had attended the committee he would have learned much from the Deputies on his side of the House and on ours as to how to deal with these issues. We have agreed with the European Commission that we would inspect our waste water treatment systems on a risk-based approach. It is the responsibility of everyone to...

Other Questions: Property Taxation (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 55 and 67 together. The development of a system of local government funding which is fair, stable and effective and brings greater local responsibility in relation to financial matters is an essential feature in the reform programme for local government. The EU-IMF programme of financial support for Ireland contains a commitment to introduce a property...

Other Questions: Property Taxation (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: I subscribe to the principle outlined in the document that local government funding should be raised locally for local priorities. Councillors should also have an opportunity to vary this tax, upwards or downwards as the case may be, in the context of proper devolution of responsibility. This could be done in the same way as commercial rates levied on small businesses can be varied upwards...

Other Questions: Septic Tank Registration Scheme (23 Oct 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 54, 79, 82 and 99 together. In October 2009 the European Court of Justice ruled that Ireland had failed to adopt the necessary legislation to comply with Articles 4 and 8 of the EU waste directive regarding domestic waste water disposed of in the countryside through septic tanks and other individual waste water treatment systems. The ruling highlighted...