Results 5,841-5,860 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Unlike the situation regarding Dáil constituencies, there are no constitutional or statutory requirements regarding the frequency of local electoral area reviews. The last review of local electoral areas was carried out in 1998. The June 2004 local elections took place on the basis of the existing local electoral areas and there are currently no proposals for examination of these areas. The...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The policy direction which I have recently issued under section 60 of the Waste Management Act 1996 directs the local authorities to ensure that the requirements of section 22 of that Act are fully met in the current review of their waste management plans. Section 22 states that a waste management plan shall include information on: the identification of sites at which waste disposal or...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 44, 45, 116 and 127 together. The most recent waste management policy statement, Taking Stock and Moving Forward, April 2004, recognised that the prohibition on all inter-regional movements of waste could be unduly restrictive in terms of securing the development of waste infrastructure and the objectives of waste management plans. It is the case that most...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Action to protect the habitats of rare and endangered wild bird species is most directly addressed by designation of sites as special protection areas, SPAs. To date, Ireland has designated 128 SPAs, covering an area equivalent to almost 3% of our land area and statutory orders are in preparation to designate some further sites. Designation of habitats under other provisions, for example, as...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The statutory provisions for the making of regional planning guidelines are contained in the Planning and Development Act 2000. Under these provisions, I have issued directions to regional authorities and published regulations on the making of regional planning guidelines. My Department has also issued guidance notes to regional authorities to assist them in this process. In accordance with...

Written Answers — Water Conservation: Water Conservation (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Local authorities are responsible for publicity measures associated with the national water conservation scheme being funded by my Department under the water services investment programme 2004-06. The objective of the conservation scheme is to identify and substantially reduce unaccounted for water levels in public water supply networks. Over €276 million has been allocated to city and...

Written Answers — Nuclear Plants: Nuclear Plants (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 90 together. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 180 and 184 of 18 May 2005. Ireland and the United Kingdom submitted their latest progress report to the UNCLOS tribunal on 31 May 2005. Otherwise, the position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: My Department does not have detailed information on the number of waste collection permits held by landscape gardeners nor on the origin of green waste deposited at facilities for recycling. Identification of needs for waste management facilities is a matter for local authorities under the relevant regional waste management plans, which are currently being reviewed by the local authorities....

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The task force set up in my Department to establish strategies to address the range of environmental complaints against Ireland in a more comprehensive way is fully operational. In addressing its work, the task force has been building on an intensified engagement by my Department with Commission officials and with the implementing agencies in Ireland that has been developed over recent...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49, 61, 832 and 833 together. The Government decision in February 2000 to move to electronic voting and counting aimed to secure a range of identified benefits compared to the current manual arrangements, including: more democratic outcomes through the minimisation of invalid votes and the more accurate counting of votes; provision of a higher level of service...

Written Answers — Departmental Websites: Departmental Websites (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The number of unique visitors to www.environ.ie from 1 January to 31 May 2005 was 279,024.

Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 51 and 138 together. The Environmental Protection Agency's report, Water Quality in Ireland 2001-2003, stated that the overall condition of Irish waters remains satisfactory and compares favourably with the position in other European countries. The report indicates that there is a further decline in the extent of serious pollution in rivers, a decline in the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Discussions involving officials of my Department, the Department of Agriculture and Food, and the EU Commission are ongoing on Ireland's nitrates action programme and I expect to be in a position to submit a final version of the programme to the Commission shortly.

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Since the establishment in 2004 by the Office of Environmental Enforcement of a national enforcement network, there has been regular contact between relevant officials from the Environment and Heritage Service of Northern Ireland and our own enforcement authorities. The function of the enforcement network is to harness the collective resources, expertise and investigative capacity of all the...

Written Answers — Genetically Modified Organisms: Genetically Modified Organisms (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Ireland's positive but precautionary policy on modern biotechnology is based on the work of the interdepartmental group on modern biotechnology, October 2000, whose report was endorsed by the Government. The report concluded that we should acknowledge the potential benefits of genetic engineering while maintaining a fundamental commitment to safety and environmental sustainability, based on...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The amended part L — conservation of fuel and energy — of the building regulations 2002 and the related technical guidance document E, 2002 edition, came into effect on 1 January 2003 and set significantly higher insulation levels and thermal performance standards for new dwellings, including apartments, subject to the transitional exemption of new dwellings for which planning permission...

Written Answers — Local Authority Properties: Local Authority Properties (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The provision of office accommodation for a local authority is primarily a matter for the local authority concerned. Section 106 of the Local Government Act 2001 requires local authorities to obtain sanction to borrow money. Under this provision, 19 local authorities received sanction, in the period 2000 to 2004, to borrow a total of €252 million for the provision, extension or...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The report, Gap Analysis for the Implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000 on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency and prepared by the consultants URS Ireland Limited, will be posted on the EPA's website, www.epa.ie, shortly. I will also arrange for copies to be placed in the Oireachtas Library.

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Waste enforcement activities in individual cases are primarily a matter for the local authorities concerned and/or the office of environmental enforcement. However, section 60 of the Waste Management Act 1996 authorises the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to give general directions to the Environmental Protection Agency and/or local authorities on waste management...

Written Answers — Radon Gas Levels: Radon Gas Levels (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 65 together. Over the years, the Government, largely through the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, has committed significant resources to assessing the extent of the radon problem throughout the country and to increasing public awareness of radon and public health. While the provision of Exchequer grant assistance for remediation works is...