Results 6,301-6,320 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Health and Safety Regulations: Health and Safety Regulations (13 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I am satisfied that the record level of funding that is available to local authorities in 2008 through grants from central government and income from local sources will enable them to provide an acceptable level of services to their customers while meeting all reasonable demands, including requirements for health and safety. Assessments of the funding needs of local authorities for future...

Written Answers — Housing Management Companies: Housing Management Companies (13 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: In Circular Letter PD 5/06, issued in July 2006, my Department told planning authorities that conditions requiring management companies should not be attached to planning permissions for traditional housing estates — that is, estates of houses with individual private gardens — except in very specific circumstances, e.g. if a particular service or facility is provided for residents' use...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (13 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The Kinvara Sewerage Scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007 — 2009 as a scheme to start construction in 2008. My Department approved Galway County Council's Preliminary Report for the scheme in December 2006. In accordance with devolved procedures for schemes costing less than €5m, the Council may advance the scheme through the procurement and...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (13 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The Gort Regional Water Supply Scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007 — 2009 as a scheme to start construction in 2009. My Department is awaiting Galway County Council's revised Preliminary Report for the scheme.

Written Answers — Local Government: Local Government (13 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The information requested is set out in the following table. Local Authority S.I. Number Title City Councils: Cork S.I. No. 299 of 1998 Cork County Borough Local Electoral Areas Order 1998 Dublin S.I. No. 386 of 1998 County Borough of Dublin Local Electoral Areas Order 1998 Galway S.I. No. 337 of 1998 Galway County Borough Local Electoral Areas Order 1998 Limerick S.I. No. 298 of...

Written Answers — Local Government: Local Government (13 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The number of elected members in each local authority is set out in section 21 and schedule 7 of the Local Government Act 2001.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (13 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: No full-time specialists have been openly recruited to date by my Department in the areas of information technology procurement and capital project evaluation and management. There have been no secondments of IT procurement specialists between my Department and the private sector or vice versa.

Written Answers — Compulsory Purchase Orders: Compulsory Purchase Orders (13 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Pursuant to section 214 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, I have no function in relation to the compulsory acquisition of land by a local authority and consequently I have no information on the extent to which powers of compulsory acquisition are being utilised by such authorities.

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: This file is currently with the Chief State Solicitor's Office (CSSO). It appears that the vendor was not the registered owner of the lands on sale until very recently. Now that this issue has been resolved, the sale can proceed and I expect to receive contracts for execution from the CSSO shortly.

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Both Irish species of seal, the grey and harbour (or common) seal, are protected under the Wildlife Acts and the EU Habitats Directive. Seals sometimes follow migratory fish and may from time to time be found some distance up rivers. Under Section 42 of the Wildlife Act, 1976 (as amended) if seals are found to be causing serious damage to other fauna, to a fishery or to aquaculture...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 591 and 592 together. Ireland's commitment under the Kyoto Protocol is to limit national emissions to 13% above 1990 levels on average in the period 2008-2012, which equates to an annual average of approximately 63 mt (i.e. million tonnes of CO2-equivalent). The National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012 provides a framework for meeting this commitment...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I assume that the question is referring to the local authority service indicators initiative, which has been in place since 2004. A review of the service indicators was recently completed. There are now indicators across 46 headings as compared to the original 42. They cover a wide range of local authority functions including planning, housing, environment, recreation and amenity. An...

Written Answers — Special Protection Areas: Special Protection Areas (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Special Protection Areas (SPA) are designated under the EU Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) as transposed into Irish Law by the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997. The Habitats Regulations allow a statutory time frame of 3 months in which parties with a legal interest can lodge an objection to a proposed designation. I have no proposals to extend that deadline. There has...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The National Climate Change Strategy 2007-12 signalled a potential purchasing requirement of up to 18 million carbon allowances in part fulfilment of Ireland's obligations pursuant to the Kyoto Protocol. However, my intention is that Ireland will meet its obligations as far as possible by emission reductions through domestic action and achieve a 3% annual reduction on average over the...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: A comprehensive programme of activities is currently under way by my Department, the EPA, local authorities and other relevant bodies for full implementation of the Water Framework Directive. My Department has to date committed funding amounting to some €63 million for river basin district projects, led by local authorities, to support implementation of the Directive. The necessary...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: Part H of the Building Regulations (Drainage and Waste Water Disposal) and the relevant technical guidance document sets out the requirements for the treatment of effluent from wastewater systems. Wastewater treatment systems other than septic tanks are accepted as satisfactory provided they are fit for the use for which they are intended and for the conditions in which they are used. The...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: I am at present considering the next steps to be taken in relation to this project. In this, I am taking into account the work of the Commission on Electronic Voting, relevant experiences and developments internationally, and the need to maintain public confidence in the electoral process, as well as the provisions in the Programme for Government relating to electoral reform generally.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings, which was transposed into Irish law in 2006 by Statutory Instrument S.I. No. 666 of 2006, introduced a requirement for a Building Energy Rating System, or BER as it is more commonly known. The intention of the BER system is that buildings will have an energy rating similar to the way in which white goods are rated and that its practical...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: City and county development plans set the objectives for the proper planning and sustainable development of their areas. Local area plans translate these objectives at local level. Extensive public consultation by planning authorities in relation to the making and variation of development plans and local area plans is provided for under Part II of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as...

Written Answers — Economic Competitiveness: Economic Competitiveness (12 Feb 2008)

John Gormley: The Report of the Competition Authority, Competition in Professional Services — Architects, was published in March 2006. The Report contained a number of recommendations in regard to the legislative proposals which were contained in the Building Control Bill 2005, which was then before the Oireachtas, for registration of the titles of building professionals, including that of "Architect"....