Results 5,821-5,840 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley
- Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: The total cost incurred to date in the development and roll-out of the electronic voting and counting system is â¬51.3 million (including some â¬2.6 million in respect of awareness and education initiatives). In addition, information provided by returning officers to my Department indicates that the total annual storage costs incurred by them in respect of the electronic voting machines and...
- Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 86, 93 and 398 together. The Government's commitment to ensuring that water supplies achieve full compliance with drinking water standards is reflected in the â¬4.7 billion in capital funding for water services infrastructure in the National Development Plan (NDP) 2007-2013, an increase of 27% on the previous NDP. In addition, new drinking water...
- Written Answers — National Biodiversity Plan: National Biodiversity Plan (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: When the National Biodiversity Plan was published in April 2002, the Departments and state agencies that were required to produce sectoral action plans were not specified. The responsibilities of various Departments have evolved and changed in the intervening time, and it is a matter for each Department or agency to identify the need for the creation of biodiversity posts or the development...
- Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: On 30 January 2008, the Government approved the drafting of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008 which will provide for the revision of Dáil and European Parliament constituencies in accordance with the recommendations of the report of the Constituency Commission which was presented to the Ceann Comhairle last October. The Bill will also provide for the establishment of future Constituency...
- Written Answers — Local Government Reform: Local Government Reform (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 113 together. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to publish a Green Paper on Local Government Reform, to examine a number of issues with the objective of making local government more transparent and responsive. I have published the Green Paper, Stronger Local Democracy â Options for Change, today. I established a Consultative...
- Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: Under Section 48 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, planning authorities may levy development contributions in respect of public infrastructure and facilities provided by, or on behalf of the local authority that benefit development in the area, based on a scheme of contributions adopted by the elected members of the authority. Subject to this, the types of public infrastructure that...
- Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: My Department's Sectoral Plan, as provided for in section 31 of the Disability Act 2005, was developed in consultation with people with disabilities to assist the Department and local authorities in supporting an inclusive society with accessible buildings, facilities, services and information. The Plan provides for monitoring, review and reporting arrangements. There are statutory...
- Written Answers — Water Services: Water Services (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 413, 415, 421 and 422 together. The management of public drinking water supplies, including the assessment of requirements and monitoring of demand and storage capacity, is the responsibility of the local water services authorities, which have a range of instruments and measures available to deal with water supply needs. In addition, my Department finances...
- Written Answers — Water Services: Water Services (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: Local authorities are required to recover from non-domestic users the cost of providing water services to them. Under the legislation governing water charges a waiver is available on grounds of personal hardship only. With the abolition of domestic water charges after 1996, this provision has become largely irrelevant, regardless of a local authority's billing arrangements.
- Written Answers — National Biodiversity Plan: National Biodiversity Plan (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 104 together. While the production of a local biodiversity action plan is a matter for each local authority, my Department has initiated a number of actions to support this process. These have included circulation of guidelines on the production of local biodiversity action plans to all local authorities in March 2006, and organisation of a seminar in...
- Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: My Department is aware of many different technologies or processes for the management of waste including gasification, of which I understand the 'Stein' method is one of many variations. The Government's policy in regard to waste management is clearly set out in the Programme for Government. It is firmly grounded in a continuing commitment to the waste hierarchy with a renewed drive towards...
- Written Answers — Litter Pollution: Litter Pollution (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: I am aware of the operation of such schemes abroad; similar schemes are in place in certain local authority areas in this country. Under statute, the primary response to litter is a matter for local authorities. My Department's role is to provide the legislative framework for combating litter pollution, and to motivate and energise anti-litter responses as necessary. It is the...
- Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: As indicated in the reply to Question No. 35 of 27 February 2008, I have powers as Minister under section 29 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to issue policy directives to planning authorities regarding any of their functions under the Act, and planning authorities are required to comply with any such directives in the performance of their functions. No such policy directives have...
- Written Answers — Town Boundaries: Town Boundaries (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: Midleton Town Council applied for a boundary alteration in 2006. The extent of the change to the boundary sought by the Town Council was opposed by Cork County Council. I wrote to Midleton Town Council in December 2007 stating that I considered it inappropriate to proceed with the application for a number of reasons, including the lack of agreement between town and county, the passage of...
- Written Answers — Litter Pollution: Litter Pollution (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: Under the Litter Acts, the primary management and enforcement response to littering is a matter for local authorities. The role of my Department is to provide the legislative framework to combat litter pollution, and to motivate and energise anti-litter responses as necessary. It is the responsibility of each local authority to undertake the most appropriate enforcement and clean-up actions...
- Written Answers — National Biodiversity Plan: National Biodiversity Plan (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 121 together. In November 2005, my Department published a review, setting out the implementation status of the 91 actions in the National Biodiversity Plan, and copies of the review are available in the Oireachtas Library. This indicated that 83 of the actions had either been fully implemented or that implementation was ongoing. Out of the 91 actions...
- Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: I fully support the case for introducing sustainability criteria into the proposal to amend the Fuel Quality Directive 98/70/EC. The cultivation of biofuels can have wide ranging environmental, economic and social impacts, including on biodiversity, on the price of food crops and on communities competing for land with commercial biofuel interests, while actual net emission reductions from...
- Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to establish an independent Electoral Commission which will take responsibility for electoral administration and oversight, implement modern and efficient electoral practices, revise constituency boundaries, take charge of compiling a new national rolling electoral register, take over the functions of the Standards in Public Office Commission...
- Written Answers — Local Authority Services: Local Authority Services (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: Quality customer service has been a key pillar of the local government modernisation programme over the past decade. Significant progress has been made by local authorities in service delivery under the programme and this has been confirmed by the Performance Verification Group for the local government sector under the National Partnership arrangements. Substantial support and resources have...
- Written Answers — Public Works Projects: Public Works Projects (22 Apr 2008)
John Gormley: The facility referred to in the question is under construction and building work is expected to be completed by mid-year. This will be followed by the installation of an exhibition, the design for which is currently underway, which is scheduled for completion later this year. The centre will be open for the full 2009 season commencing in Spring 2009.