Results 6,521-6,540 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: I have no function in relation to the matter raised in the Question. Pursuant to the European Communities (Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading) Regulations 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency determines and oversees the greenhouse gas emission caps for installations, including electricity generating stations, participating in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: I understand that the proposed development referred to is currently before An Bord Pleanála under the pre-application stages of the new strategic consent process provided for under the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006. As Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, I am precluded, under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, from...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 125 together. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 61 and 70 on today's order paper. The Government has announced provision of €270 million for the purchase of carbon allowances over the period 2007-13. This sum is in addition to €20 million provided in my Department's Vote in 2006. Following the enactment of the Carbon Fund Act in March 2007,...

Written Answers — Wildlife Conservation: Wildlife Conservation (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: Goats are not a protected species under the Wildlife Acts and I do not have any statutory function in relation to the protection of these or other goats. However, my Department, together with the EU, Teagasc and the IFA, supports the BurrenLIFE Project (BLP) which is the first major farming for conservation project in the State. The objective of the project is to develop a new model for...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: The provision for carbon sinks in the carbon budget table refers to sequestration, or removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, from forests that are eligible for accounting under the Kyoto Protocol. The rules of the Kyoto Protocol allow Parties to include sequestration from net afforestation since 1990, i.e. sequestration from the planting of new forest since 1990, less the effects of...

Written Answers — Water Charges: Water Charges (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: Implementation of the polluter pays principle and of the Water Framework Directive requires full recovery of the cost of providing water and waste water services from the users of those services. Metering enables each consumer's water services bill to be related to consumption. Local authorities are required to set their water and waste water charges at levels that will recover their...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129, 561 and 562 together. The primary objective of the recent United Nations conference on climate change was to mandate a two-year round of formal negotiations with a view to adopting a new international agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol from 2013. The 'Bali Roadmap' which was adopted at the conference provides that mandate and the expectation of the...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: The Achleam Sewerage Scheme was fifteenth on the list of water and sewerage schemes submitted by Mayo 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. These assessments were taken into account in the preparation of the...

Written Answers — National Parks: National Parks (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: My Department will prepare a draft management plan for the Burren National Park for public consultation during 2008 with the intention of publishing a final plan in 2009.

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: The Programme for Government reiterates the Government's strong commitment to a waste management hierarchy based on the cornerstones of reduction, re-use, recycling and marketing of recycled products. There is also a commitment to meeting the targets to divert biodegradable waste from landfill required under the 1999 EU Landfill Directive. The Programme identifies in addition the need for an...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: My Department's Wind Energy Development Guidelines, originally published in 1996, were updated and reissued in 2006. The guidelines provide advice to planning authorities on planning for wind energy through the development plan process. They are also intended to ensure consistency of approach throughout the country in the identification of suitable locations for wind energy developments and...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: The information sought in relation to works and services for the Department will be complied as part of the accounting arrangements for the Department's appropriation account after year end and details will be forwarded to the Deputy before the end of January. As I have no function in the matter, information is not available in my Department on such day-to-day operational matters in relation...

Written Answers — Bilateral Agreements: Bilateral Agreements (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: There is no provision under section 15 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1997 for my Department to enter into bilateral agreements as suggested in the Question. As indicated in the replies to Questions Nos. 595 of 23 October 2007 and 665 of 27 November 2007, the assessment of housing need, including verification of the relevant circumstances of applicants, is a matter for the...

Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: The information requested is as follows: Comhar Sustainable Development Council Comhar, Sustainable Development Council, formerly known as Comhar — Sustainable Development Partnership was established in 1999 and remains operational. It is the forum for national consultation and dialogue on all issues relating to sustainable development. Its terms of reference are, briefly, to advance the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 537 to 539, inclusive, together. With regard to the reply to Question No. 328 of 21 November 2007, the position in relation to the project concerned is unchanged. In its Housing Action Plan 2004-08, Kildare County Council has not identified any other remedial works schemes to be undertaken. Following the publication of the Government's housing policy...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: Inventories of greenhouse gas emissions are prepared on an annual basis by the Environmental Protection Agency to meet reporting requirements of the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change and the European Union. The information is published each year by the EPA in the National Inventory Report, which also sets out the methodology used for calculating emissions data. The latest...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: As set out in its Customer Charter and Customer Action Plan 2006-08, my Department is committed to delivering a very high quality service to all its customers in a timely manner. The applications from the public which are processed by my Department are diverse in nature and the processing time frames vary according to the nature and circumstances of the scheme in question. The average times...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: The polluter pays principle, which underpins national and European Union policy in the area of waste management, seeks to encourage all of society to reduce, reuse and recycle waste to the maximum extent possible. The use of economic and market-based instruments such as landfill taxes, environmental levies and pay-by-use is widespread throughout Europe. Where economic instruments are well...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: I am satisfied that the Environmental Protection Agency is committed to the protection of the environment and that it is effective in this role. The Exchequer provision for the Agency for 2008 shows a 43% increase on the corresponding 2007 financial provision, and this is evidence of Government's support for the Agency in carrying out its important work. The Programme for Government includes...

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (18 Dec 2007)

John Gormley: I am unfamiliar with the acronym HEA in the context of land designations. I am assuming that the question refers to Natural Heritage Areas (NHA's) designated under the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2001. My Department's priority in recent years has been the designation of European sites as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the Habitats Directive and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under...