Results 6,181-6,200 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley
- Water and Sewerage Schemes. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: They want to slow them down.
- Water and Sewerage Schemes. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: So is the Deputy saying the local authority and my Department are to blame?
- Water and Sewerage Schemes. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: I am trying to engage with the Opposition.
- Water and Sewerage Schemes. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: Since the beginning of the National Development Plan 2000-2006, more than 400 major water and sewerage schemes have been completed under the Department's water services investment programme at a cost of â¬3.5 billion. The facts speak for themselves. I have visited many of these schemes, including a recent visit to a scheme in Galway where there was a cryptosporidium outbreak last year. As...
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: The programme for Government contains a commitment to establish an independent electoral commission which will take responsibility for a range of electoral matters including the functions currently exercised by the Standards in Public Office Commission relating to election spending. The electoral commission will also examine the issue of financing of the political system. In this regard, a...
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: The Labour Party is much closer to my colleagues in Fianna Fáil with regard to corporate donations than the Green Party because it sees no problem at all with corporate donations. If the Government was to impose a ban on corporate donations, Labour Party members would be up from their seats, saying they did not want it. The Labour Party accepts donations from builders or anyone else, but...
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: Likewise with my colleagues in Fine Gael. There was an initiative at one stage from the former party leader, Deputy Michael Noonan, to stop the practice of accepting corporate donationsââ
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: The fact is that in my reply I said, very clearly, that the Green Paper will examine the question of capping expenditure at election time. I am committed to doing that and believe it is possible to do it between now and the local elections next year. The implication of Deputy Lynch's question is that the Green Party is somehow turning its back on the Standards in Public Office Commission...
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: ââat that stage, we will see what the Labour Party has to say.
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: I have never come across an instance of it. That is the Green Party rule. I am speaking here as Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government but I am happy to tell the Deputy that we have a rule in the Green Party that we do not accept corporate donations.
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: That is the rule, clear and simple. As I said, I know that Fine Gael had that rule. If the Deputy has information for meââ
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: Okay.
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: I am more than happy to be generous to the Labour Party. In fact, former Deputy Eithne Fitzgerald introduced some very good legislation in the area. Fair play to her and I recognise that.
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: I think the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, as Minister, had something to do with that and I compliment him on it. Let us work together. I have always said that as Minister I am more than happy to listen to any suggestions coming from the Opposition benches and if they are positive ones, I will act on them.
- Proposed Legislation. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: I did indeed.
- Planning Issues. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: The non-completion of any development in line with the planning permission for that development is unauthorised development, which is an offence under the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2006. As indicated in the reply to Question No. 227 of 7 February 2008, enforcement of planning control is a matter for the planning authorities, which have substantial enforcement powers and duties...
- Planning Issues. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: The main elements of the policy guidance contained in my circular letter will be incorporated into the new sustainable residential development guidelines, which are currently available for public consultation. They will be issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 later this year, which will give them more teeth. The planning authorities are obliged to have regard to...
- Planning Issues. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: Deputies have raised important points. Deputy Ciarán Lynch's point on Adamstown is particularly good. This year, a new local government service indicator will be introduced to provide benchmark data in 2009 for monitoring the taking in charge process. Priority will be accorded by individual authorities to the taking in charge of unfinished or legacy estates. While my circular will address...
- Environmental Policy. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: In areas for which my Department has responsibility, the European Commission is currently in correspondence in respect of 28 cases relating to possible infringements of EU environmental legislation. The cases are at various stages of proceedings. Under Article 226 of the EU treaty, seven cases are at letter of formal notice stage, the initial stages of the formal proceedings. These are...
- Environmental Policy. (27 Feb 2008)
John Gormley: The Deputy is correct that the European Union has made a tremendous difference and I am on record as saying that without it our environment would be in a far worse state. This is one reason the Lisbon treaty is so important, especially with regard to combatting climate change, though there are also other initiatives. I have made this subject a priority and when I became Minister I sought to...