Results 6,061-6,080 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Coastal Erosion: Coastal Erosion (14 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I understand that Wicklow and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councils are in consultation regarding the carrying out of trial digs and the taking of samples to facilitate a risk assessment for this site and the further action may be required following this. In addition, I recently issued under section 60 of the Waste Management Act 1996 a direction to all local authorities requiring them to...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (14 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Capital funding is not made available by my Department for the construction of facilities for final disposal of waste. In the Dublin and the south-east waste management regions limited grant assistance has been provided from the environment fund on a pilot basis to assist the development of infrastructure solutions by means of public private partnerships. Capital funding provided by the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I assume that the question relates to commissions, inquiries and tribunals established for specific investigative purposes. The total cost of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments to 31 December 2004 is €37.602 million. The tribunal expects to finish all its public hearings by at the latest March 2007. It is not possible for my Department to estimate the final...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (2 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The Commission for Public Service Appointments, set up under the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004, has recently published codes of practice governing recruitment to the Civil Service. The code prescribes the necessary standard of probity, merit, equity and fairness to be applied to recruitment and provides for a review-appeals procedure. Most recruitment for...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (2 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: In accordance with the Government decision on the first phase of moves under the decentralisation programme, the transfer of my Department's headquarters to Wexford is included in the list of those organisations considered potential early movers. The indicative timescale provided for the completion of the Department's headquarters in Wexford and the subsequent relocation of staff, is the...

Written Answers — Development Levies: Development Levies (2 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Information in relation to development contributions collected by planning authorities are published in my Department's annual planning statistics, which are available in the Oireachtas Library. The total amount of development contributions collected by planning authorities in 2003 was €215 million. The 2004 planning statistics are currently being compiled; an initial estimate of the amount...

Written Answers — Motor Taxation: Motor Taxation (2 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Total receipts from motor taxation, including driving licence duties, etc., amounted to €747 million in 2004. Estimated receipts for 2005 are €770 million.

Written Answers — Local Government: Local Government (1 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I refer to the reply to Question No. 81 of 18 May 2005. Under the Local Government Act 2001, Kildare County Council is the primary unit of local government in the area. Leixlip already has an active town council. Any proposal to establish a town council in Maynooth is a matter for the local community in the first instance. Kildare town would not qualify to be considered for town council...

Written Answers — Departmental Publications: Departmental Publications (1 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: Twelve reports are awaiting publication in my Department. Details are set out in the following table: Name of Report Time Elapsed Cost/projected cost of each report Date each report will be published â'¬ National Urban Waste Water Study 42 months 2,400,000.00 The report is being prepared for publication All-island report on invasive alien species under action 28 of the...

Written Answers — Motor Taxation: Motor Taxation (1 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The surcharge on non-annual discs is designed to cover the higher administrative costs involved. Current surcharge levels are lower than those permitted under motor tax law and were slightly reduced in 2001. I will continue to keep the level of surcharge under review in light of the expansion of e-motor tax arrangements.

Written Answers — Regional Road Network: Regional Road Network (1 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: The improvement of non-national roads is a matter for road authorities to be funded from their own resources supplemented by State grants. In 2005, a grant of €400,000 was allocated to Sligo County Council under the EU co-financed specific improvements grant scheme for improvement works on the R294 at Mullaghroe. The council has also included two schemes on the R294, at Drumartin and...

Seanad: EU Directives. (1 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I am grateful to Senator Bannon for raising this issue. If I rose my eyes to heaven, it is because of the amount of mythology that has been peddled in recent times by sectors of the retail trade. They are not helping their case. I wish to nail a couple of the lies that have been told, although not by the Senators. Retailers will not need a waste licence. I met with the retailers and with the...

Seanad: EU Directives. (1 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I fully accept the Senator's bona fides in this matter. It is unusual that we should have this exchange but I welcome it. The reality is that the retailers have been at the negotiating table and I have listened to their concerns. Ironically, some on the other side of this debate are arguing that I am too much in favour of the retailers. It seems I must be somewhere in the middle. There is no...

Seanad: School Accommodation. (1 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I wish I could do so. Perhaps I might have been able to oblige if the school in question had applied for consideration under this year's programme. Unfortunately, it apparently neglected to do so. However, I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline details of the funding allocated to St. Macdara's College to improve its accommodation, and to...

Seanad: Disadvantaged Status. (1 Jun 2005)

Dick Roche: I acknowledge Senator Browne's concerns on this issue. Like him, I am occasionally mystified as to how the status of adjacent schools which are attended by the same families may be determined in slightly different fashions. I thank the Senator for affording me this opportunity to outline to the House the position of the Department of Education and Science concerning the allocation of...

Written Answers — Architectural Heritage: Architectural Heritage (31 May 2005)

Dick Roche: Statutory protection of architectural heritage is primarily a matter for the planning authorities to which the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government provides advice in the exercise of their functions in that regard under the Planning and Development Act 2000. Under the provisions of that Act, each planning authority must, for the purpose of protecting structures or...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (31 May 2005)

Dick Roche: Ireland signed the Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation in decision making and access to justice in environmental matters on 25 June 1998. Progress towards the ratification of the convention is closely aligned with work at EU level. The European Union has adopted two directives as part of the convention's ratification process. The directives deal with public access...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (31 May 2005)

Dick Roche: The EU habitats directive requires member states to propose areas for designation as special areas of conservation to conserve the habitat types listed on Annex I of the directive and the animal and plant species listed on Annex II of the directive. In selecting suitable sites, member states are required to use the scientific criteria set out in Annex III of the directive. The directive does...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (31 May 2005)

Dick Roche: The greater Dublin strategic drainage study is funded under the water services investment programme of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It has been undertaken by Dublin City Council on behalf of the seven local authorities in the greater Dublin region. I understand that the final study report is being examined by the local authorities concerned and will be...

Written Answers — Local Authorities: Local Authorities (31 May 2005)

Dick Roche: From the commencement of the single mandate for elective local government, local authorities were required to make specific arrangements to provide a reasonable level of service for Members of the Oireachtas and to facilitate them in carrying out their work on behalf of local communities. The statutory regulations which have been made in this regard have been in operation since 1 August 2003....