Results 6,141-6,160 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: In accordance with the Programme for Government, my Department will be publishing a Green Paper on local government reform shortly. The Green Paper will examine a number of issues with the objective of making local government more transparent and responsive, and will set out options for reform in advance of a subsequent White Paper. One of the issues which the Green Paper will address is the...

Written Answers — Electronic Voting: Electronic Voting (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 39, 197 and 198 together. Responsibility for storage of manual voting equipment has always been a matter for the local returning officers and so similar responsibility was assigned to them in regard to the electronic voting equipment. In the majority of cases, leases were entered into by them for the storage of the machines, which have a 20-year lifespan....

Written Answers — Flood Risk Assessment: Flood Risk Assessment (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: As I stated in reply to Question No. 272 of 31 January 2008, the First Schedule of the Planning and Development Act 2000 specifies, inter alia, that planning authorities may include in their development plans objectives regulating, restricting or controlling development in areas at risk of flooding. Where development is proposed in an area at risk of flooding, it is a matter for each...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Under section 29 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, I have powers, as Minister, 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 been issued to planning authorities in relation to density levels...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: 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 ratification of the Convention is closely aligned with work at EU level and, in that context, the European Union has adopted two Directives as part of the ratification process for the Convention. These deal...

Written Answers — Local Government Elections: Local Government Elections (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: On 8 January 2008 I announced that I had established two committees to review local electoral areas. The Electoral Area Committees are operating under statutory terms of reference given to them under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1991 and are independent in the performance of their functions. Without prejudice to the independent role of the Committees, it is envisaged that their...

Written Answers — Motor Taxation: Motor Taxation (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 52 together. As the Deputies will be aware the Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2008 is currently before the House and I refer to the reply to the second stage debate on Tuesday 26 February 2008.

Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41, 200, 201 and 202 together. Management of public drinking water supplies is generally the responsibility of the local authorities, which have a range of instruments and measures available to them to produce and conserve sufficient supplies to meet anticipated needs and to ensure quality standards. In addition, my Department coordinates and finances a major...

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: In accordance with its Environmental Policy Statement, my Department is fully committed to the conservation and effective management of resources, including resources utilised through electricity consumption. This is a critical element of our accreditation to ISO 14001 in respect of the Custom House. To minimise energy consumption, my Department uses a number of energy saving devices such as...

Written Answers — Architectural Heritage: Architectural Heritage (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Nominations for World Heritage Status will only be considered if the site has already been included on the State Party's tentative list, which is an inventory of those cultural and natural heritage properties considered to be of outstanding universal value. This is in line with the 'Operational Guidelines of the World Heritage Convention'. (A copy of these guidelines is available on the...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The facility in question is provided for in the Dublin regional waste management plan for which the four Dublin local authorities have statutory responsibility under the Waste Management Acts. Section 60(3) of the Waste Management Act, 1996 specifically precludes the Minister, and therefore the Department, from any involvement in anything for which a local authority or the EPA has statutory...

Written Answers — Environmental Protection Agency: Environmental Protection Agency (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 500 and 501 of 26 February 2008. I am considering the form that the review of the role, procedures and governing legislation of the Environmental Protection Agency, as provided for in the Programme for Government, should take.

Written Answers — Parking Regulations: Parking Regulations (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The Department of Transport's Sectoral Plan, prepared under the Disability Act 2005, proposes that it will ensure that access to bus stops and disabled parking bays is not obstructed by illegal parking by substantially increasing fixed charge fines for such offences and through better enforcement by An Garda Síochána and local authority traffic wardens. The plan further indicated that the...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The National Spatial Strategy and Regional Planning Guidelines identify improved social, amenity and cultural infrastructure as being key to achieving improved quality of life and providing better places for people to live in. In turn, these aims are translated into concrete policies and actions in county and city development plans, as well as through local area plans. I am a statutory...

Written Answers — Wildlife Protection: Wildlife Protection (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: On 13 December 2007, the European Court of Justice passed Judgment in case C 418/04, Commission v Ireland which identified a number of shortcomings in Ireland's transposition and implementation, up to 2004, of the Birds Directive 79/409/EEC and its implementation of Article 6 of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC. My Department met with Commission officials recently to discuss the substantive...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The Monaghan County Development Plan 2007-2013 was adopted in March 2007 following public consultation at draft and material amendment stages. At both stages, my Department expressed serious concerns that the draft plan did not support the objectives of the National Spatial Strategy, the Regional Planning Guidelines for the Border Region, or the Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines. The...

Written Answers — Local Government Reform: Local Government Reform (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The position remains as set out in the reply to Questions Nos. 90 and 101 of 18 December 2007. I am open to considering any changes that could improve and strengthen the ethical framework for local authorities, in the context of the reform of the local government system on which a Green Paper is due to be published shortly. Furthermore, in relation to the general issue of the zoning of land,...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (27 Feb 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. Income from the schemes must be applied to pay for...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: My Department's Development Management Guidelines for Planning Authorities, published in June 2007, available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie, emphasise the importance and value of pre-application consultations between developers and planning authorities. Pre-application consultations are stated to be of value for, among other things, advising applicants of procedural...

Written Answers — Water Charges: Water Charges (27 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: There have been numerous discussions between my Department and the Department of Education and Science in relation to water charges for schools, most recently in the context of the government announcement in January 2008 in relation to transitional arrangements which will apply to schools water services over the period 2007-09 as part of the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive....