Results 6,441-6,460 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1393 and 1396 together. The Government approved the drafting of the Designated Land (Housing Development) Bill on 1 December 2006. The General Scheme of the Bill, which is under consideration by the office of the Parliamentary Counsel, provides for: powers for planning authorities to enter into a binding agreement with, or impose requirements on, the owners...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: Section 33 of the Waste Management Act 1996 requires local authorities, subject to certain exceptions, to collect or arrange for the collection of household waste. The current regulatory framework does not require competitive tendering though this option is available to individual local authorities.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: The Ballymote Sewerage Scheme is included in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009 as a scheme to advance through planning. My Department is awaiting submission of a Preliminary Report for the scheme by Sligo County Council.

Written Answers — Climate Change Strategy: Climate Change Strategy (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: At a global level, rising sea levels is one of the most serious concerns in relation to climate change and, as pointed out in Chapter 11 of the National Climate Change Strategy, it is already known that the Irish climate is experiencing changes consistent with those occurring at a global scale. The 2007 Fourth Assessment Report from the InterGovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) points...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: In-sink macerator units, or food waste disposal units, are used in some household and commercial premises to dispose of organic kitchen waste to the sewer, thus removing the material from the normal solid waste stream and transferring it to the local wastewater treatment plant for treatment. A study into such units is currently being carried out under the Environmental Research Technological...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: I understand that works recently carried out under Contract 3B (Trunk Watermains from Ardscull to Athy) of Phase 1 of the Kildare Water Supply Scheme, which is being funded under my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009, will provide interim water supply facilities for the Ballyroe area. A longer-term solution will be provided by another element of Phase 1 of the Kildare...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: Consultations are ongoing with the Department of Finance in relation to the current ceiling on local authority staff numbers including impacts in relation to increased servicing requirements in areas which have experienced high population growth.

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: I understand that a Preliminary Report is currently being prepared by Dublin City Council as part of a Strategic Environmental Assessment relating to long-term water supplies for the Greater Dublin Area.

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: Following the completion of accessibility audits, local authorities are required to draw up implementation plans setting out programmes to give effect to the commitments and objectives contained in the Disability Act 2005 and the Department's related Sectoral Plan. Each implementation plan will be published and placed on the authority's website. The following thirteen local authorities,...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: I am satisfied that my Department is meeting the 3% employment quota for people with disabilities. Arising from the most recent survey of staff in my Department 3.2% of respondents had a disability. It is intended to carry out a further survey of staff shortly. The Department's records indicate that, since 2002, one person with a disability was employed by my Department, from outside the...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: The Killygordon/Crossroads Sewerage Scheme was one of a bundle of sewerage schemes ranked as sixth priority on the list of water and sewerage schemes submitted by Donegal County Council in response to my Department's request to all local authorities in 2006 to undertake assessments of needs for capital works in their areas and to prioritise their proposals on the basis of these assessments....

Written Answers — Electricity Consumption: Electricity Consumption (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: The total amount of electricity used in the Custom House over the past three years is set out in the table. While electricity consumption has increased between 2005 and 2007 by 5%, total energy consumption in the same period has decreased by 6%. In accordance with its Environmental Policy Statement, my Department is fully committed to the conservation and effective management of our...

Tribunals of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: affirms its confidence in the Mahon tribunal and believes it will fulfil the tribunal's mandate pursuant to the amended terms of reference established by the Oireachtas; notes that the tribunal was established to inquire urgently into certain planning matters and report to the Clerk of the Dáil...

Tribunals of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: Legislation was introduced on several occasions to underpin and facilitate the operation of this and other tribunals. I remind the House of the facts. The planning tribunal was established in 1997 by the Government and the Oireachtas as a response to suspicions of corrupt acts in the planning process, particularly in the Dublin area. I should also remind the House of the pivotal role that...

Tribunals of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: The tribunal was mandated to examine certain specific activities and also to investigate any other matters that came to its attention that could amount to corrupt acts in the period since June 1985. Two Acts from 1998 allowed for the changing of a tribunal's terms of reference, at the request of the tribunal or following consultation between the tribunal and the Attorney General on behalf of...

Tribunals of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: At that time, the Government also approved the provision of additional resources to the tribunal and a significant increase in the size of its internal legal team. Earlier, in July 2004, the Government decided on a new reduced scale of fees for new and existing tribunals' legal teams. Following discussion between the Attorney General and the planning tribunal, it was agreed that, with the...

Tribunals of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: Conscious, on the advice of the chairman, that the imposition of a reduced fee structure for the tribunal's legal team might cause delay and interfere with its capacity to complete its work within the time schedule outlined by the chairman, the Government agreed in March 2007 that the existing rates for the tribunal's legal team would continue to apply pro tem. That remains the position. I...

Tribunals of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2001 strengthened the law on corruption as it relates to persons in public office, with a view to making prosecution in respect of corrupt payments easier. The types of decision covered by this legislation specifically include decisions on planning matters. The Standards in Public Office Act 2001 provided for the establishment of the Standards in...

Tribunals of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: ——and more generally to enhance the interests of justice, probity, ethics and public accountability throughout the public service and political system. There are legitimate concerns about the duration and cost of tribunals generally — Deputy Varadkar referred to this — and of the planning tribunal in particular, which has now entered its tenth year.

Tribunals of Inquiry: Motion (30 Jan 2008)

John Gormley: In October last, the chairman, in a communication to the Clerk of the Dáil, indicated that subject to unforeseen circumstances or delays, the tribunal anticipated that its public hearings would be completed by late summer 2008. Thereafter, it would commence the preparation of its report or reports, and such recommendations, as it deems appropriate. This will be a major undertaking, which...