Results 5,941-5,960 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

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

Dick Roche: My Department has not issued guidelines on the location of landfill facilities. All landfills are now required to be licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency, which is precluded from granting such a licence unless it is satisfied that the facility concerned will not cause environmental pollution.

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

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 305 and 306 of 18 May 2005. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Proposals have not been received by my Department from Kildare County Council on this issue which I understand involves arterial drainage of the River Slate. Under the Arterial Drainage Acts, such works are the responsibility of the Office of Public Works rather than my Department.

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

Dick Roche: The number of engineers employed in Kildare County Council at 31 December 2004, as supplied to my Department by the council, is as follows: Grade Full-time Permanent Part-time Permanent Full-time Temporary Vacancies Senior Engineer 4 0 0 1 Senior Executive Engineer (incl. structural) 12 2 0 0 Executive Engineer 25 2 0 6 Assistant Engineer 8 0 1 1 The former...

Written Answers — Urban Renewal Schemes: Urban Renewal Schemes (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 843 to 845, inclusive, together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 249 of 28 April 2005. The position is unchanged. Under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, local authorities have a range of powers to deal with derelict sites within their functional areas. It is also open to Kildare County Council to seek to have Kilcock prescribed as an urban area within the...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 281 of 9 February 2005. The position is unchanged.

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 282 of 9 February 2005. The position is unchanged.

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

Dick Roche: Studies have not been carried out in Ireland on the possible link between levels of radon gas in homes, schools or workplaces and various forms of cancer. Epidemiological studies have shown that naturally occurring radon gas concentrations add to the incidence of lung cancer. There is evidence to suggest that long-term exposure to high levels of radon can be a contributory factor in...

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

Dick Roche: On 23 January 2003, the European Commission issued Ireland with a reasoned opinion to the effect that the €20 fee for the making of a submission on a planning application which requires environmental impact assessment is contrary to the public participation provisions of Directive 85/337/EEC on environmental impact assessment, EIA. A reply issued to the European Commission on 16 May 2003,...

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

Dick Roche: Receipts for charges made by my Department appear as appropriations-in-aid. Increases in charges would generally be reflected in such receipts. Information on the major relevant appropriations-in-aid received by my Department in the years 1995 to 1998 is set out in the following table: 1995 1996 1997 1998 Subhead Appropriations in Aid A-in-As realised A-in-As realised A-in-As...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I have rarely heard such self-serving nonsense in the House. Deputy O'Dowd made a very honest contribution in which he said that if we were to make the change now, it would not have the effect in County Leitrim suggested by a number of contributors. However, it would mean that the commission would be re-established and more detailed legislation would be required. The law currently provides...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: As Deputy McGrath does not want to hear the truth, he resorts to bullyboy tactics. He does not prepare his contribution but resorts to anti-democratic means.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Deputy McGrath comes in to the House and tries to shout me down when I want to outline the facts and tell the truth. If he was better prepared, he would not need to resort to such gutter tactics. The legislation enacted in 1997 provides for three, four and five seat constituencies. It is wrong for Deputies to come in to the House and impute that somehow or other those who formed the...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I will deal with that issue. Let us look at the practical impact of what the Deputy is proposing on constituencies with a population greater than 150,000. From the point of view of what the Deputy has brought forward, connectedness between the elected representative and the electorate is not wise.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The Deputy is disputing the argument that there is a connection between the elected representative and the person he or she represents, which is the very essence of democracy. I am sure the Deputy is not attacking it. There would be an electorate of more than 170,000 in a seven seat constituency. However, that is not the best or most practical way to proceed. There would be an issue with...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: That is a completely perverse view. After a period when politicians drafted the constituency boundaries, we decided, wisely, to depoliticise that particular issue. It was decided by consensus across the political parties. There has been much comment on this issue of late, including contributions from Dr. Garret FitzGerald. It is not proper for Deputy Finian McGrath to cast aspersions on the...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The Minister of State is a good example of a hard-working constituency Deputy. One cannot be À la carte on this issue. One cannot say that one does not want the large political parties to make decisions on constituency boundaries and then say one does not like the alternative either. No cogent argument has been put forward for a radical departure from the arrangements that have been in...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: They have been in operation since the election of 1947, which is more years than I care to remember. The arrangements have applied for over 50 years and they strike a better balance than the alternatives that preceded them. I must make a point to Deputy Morgan and, in fact, I cannot avoid doing so. His espousal of the system that obtained in this country in 1922 overlooks the minor fact that...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I know that; they were not mine either.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2005: Report Stage (Resumed). (28 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I accept that. Fair dues to Deputy Morgan. What I was about to say is that whatever else motivated our former imperial masters, it was not the well-being of the Irish people. I cannot accept the amendments.