Results 561-580 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (1 May 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Programme for Governmentsets out a commitment to the introduction of water charges based on usage above a free allowance. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has, therefore, decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies. The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (1 May 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 127 together. With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services. Irish Water will not collect charges from any households not connected to a public water supply, including households...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Abstraction Regulation (1 May 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Water Pollution) Regulations 1978 require local authorities to maintain a register of water abstractions greater than 25 cubic metres per day but there is no comprehensive national register of water abstractions. Compliance with the 1978 regulations has been variable and as a result, information on the exact number of abstraction points and their location as well as the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Funding (1 May 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to the introduction of water charges based on usage above a free allowance. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has, therefore, decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies. The Government will decide on the proposed approaches to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (1 May 2014)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 276 of 3 December 2013 in which I stated that, for the period 2013 to 2020, Ireland has an ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction target under the 2009 EU Effort-Sharing Decision (406/2009/EC). I remain satisfied that Ireland is on course to comply with the annual mitigation trajectory in the first half of this compliance period. An immediate...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Administration (1 May 2014)

Phil Hogan: With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic regulation of the water sector is assigned to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER)...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Climate Change Policy (1 May 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 136 together. The National Policy Position on climate action and low-carbon development, which I announced on 23 April 2014, clearly identifies competitiveness as a pillar of the fundamental national objective on transition to a low-carbon economy by 2050. The National Policy Position also sets out a number of key issues for consideration in the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (1 May 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bórd Gáis Éireann, to be formed and registered under the Companies Act. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 transferred statutory responsibility for water services to Irish Water. From 1 January 2014 Irish Water assumed responsibility for the delivery of water services and I have no...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Air Pollution (1 May 2014)

Phil Hogan: The 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 the Cleaner Air For Europe Directive (also known as the CAFÉ Directive). The Directive requires that certain minimum levels of monitoring are conducted for the purpose of assessment and management of air quality. The Environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Services Provision (1 May 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Arigna, Boyle/Ardcarne, Roscommon Central and South Roscommon Regional Water Supply Schemes were included as Water Treatment Plant Upgrade contracts to start and as a Network Contract at Construction in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013. In March 2013 I approved the Council’s Contract Documents for the Water Treatment Plant Upgrades for...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Introduction (30 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 440, 442, 444, 446, 465, 469, 472, 489 and 522 together. With effect from 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for public water services. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 provides that Irish Water can collect charges from its customers in receipt of water services provided by it. The Act also provides that responsibility for the independent economic...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Development Companies Administration (30 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: The proposals outlined in Putting People First - Action Programme for Effective Local Governmentseek to position local government “as the primary vehicle of governance and public service at local level – leading economic, social and community development, delivering efficient and good value services, and representing citizens and local communities effectively and...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Construction Products Regulation (30 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: My Department has no role in assessing the ability of steel fabricators to comply with their obligations under the Construction Products Regulation and I.S. EN 1090-1:2009. Nevertheless, my Department has been working with a wide range of organisations in both the public and private sectors in order to ensure that the construction industry was made aware of, and could prepare for, the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water and Sewerage Schemes Status (30 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Gweedore Sewerage Scheme was included in my Department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 - 2013as a scheme to commence construction during the lifetime of the Programme. Following receipt of Donegal County Council’s Contract Documents for the scheme my Department approved these Documents in December 2013. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water is responsible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Departmental Websites (30 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 447 and 448 together. My Department’s website, , was developed to ensure compliance with accessibility guidelines and standards. While it has not been independently assessed, I am committed to ensuring that communication tools, such as my Department’s website, provide quality information to the public in an accessible manner. In that regard, a...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Collection (30 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: Liability for motor tax arises from the date of registration of a vehicle or from the date of transfer of ownership. Arrangements for registration of vehicles are a matter for the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and I have no function in the matter. The annual rate of motor tax for vintage tractors is €56. The annual rate for an agricultural tractor less than 30 years old is...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Redundancy Payments (30 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: My Department has no role in the internal operations of private organisations and, therefore, does not have a role in relation to staff or employment matters of the organisation concerned, which are for the Board of the company, as the employer, to manage. However, the Government recognises that like all other sectors of our economy, the community and voluntary sector has had to deal with...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (30 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I set up the Working Group on Citizen Engagement in September 2013 under the chairmanship of Fr. Sean Healy. The role of the Group was to make recommendations on more extensive and diverse input by citizens into decision making at local government level. The Report of the Working Group was published on my Department’s website on 28 February 2014, and may be accessed using the following...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Election Management System (30 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: My Department is reviewing the legislative, logistical and financial implications of independent voting, including voting by blind and visually impaired persons. In this context, my Department is considering a range of options including the use of tactile ballot paper templates in consultation with relevant State and other interest groups. More generally, my Department endeavours to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (30 Apr 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 459 to 463, inclusive, 470, 471 and 512 together. The Programme for Governmentsets out a commitment to the introduction of water charges based on usage above a free allowance. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has, therefore, decided that water meters should be installed in households connected...