Results 7,221-7,240 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

Written Answers — Sustainable Communities: Sustainable Communities (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: My Department is progressing a wide range of policies and measures to ensure that the unprecedented rate of housing and related development in Ireland is planned for in a manner that supports the creation of sustainable communities within a high quality environment. Apartment design in city centre locations, which prioritises a good quality of life for the occupants, can make a significant...

Written Answers — Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: As the targets in question relate to the period 2008-2012, there is no basis for asserting that there has been a failure to meet them. The National Climate Change Strategy, published in 2000, sets out indicative reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that would be achieved during the period covered by the Kyoto Protocol, 2008-2012, through the implementation of proposed measures. The National...

Written Answers — Local Authority Area Boundaries: Local Authority Area Boundaries (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: The procedures currently governing boundary alterations are set out in Part V of the Local Government Act 1991 and in the Local Government (Boundary Alteration) Regulations 1996. Under these provisions, it is open to a local authority to initiate a proposal for the alteration of its boundaries. This involves preparation of a formal boundary alteration proposal by the authority concerned...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: There was no significant loss of assets in the years in question as a result of fire, theft or flooding. In 2005, a building at Coole Park, Gort, Co Galway was destroyed by fire as a result of an electrical storm. The building has not been rebuilt as alternative accommodation was available. Some equipment has been stolen in the period. While some has been recovered with the cooperation of...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: Met Éireann, a constituent part of my Department, currently lease offices from Airport Shared Services (formerly Dublin Airport Authority) on an annual basis. The lease agreement was entered into in January 2002 for offices located at Dublin Airport (17 staff), Cork Airport (11 staff) and Shannon Airport (30 staff), at an annual cost of €126,165. The provision of these offices is...

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: The 2007 grant allocations to local authorities under the Urban and Village Renewal Programme are set out in the following table. County 2007 Allocation € Carlow 618,422 Cavan 518,770 Clare 1,013,301 Cork City Funding Completed Cork County 1,028,113 Donegal 398,029 Dublin 4,668,841 Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown 1,175,915 Fingal 1,663,556 Galway City Funding Completed Galway County...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: I am reviewing the overall employment position in the local government sector, having regard to the need to deliver front line services, and achieve value for money within the parameters of Government policy on public service employment generally. As part of my review, my Department is consulting the Department of Finance in relation to the current ceiling on local authority staff numbers,...

Written Answers — Noxious Weeds: Noxious Weeds (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: Lagarosiphon major, also known as the curly-leaved pondweed, is a native of southern Africa. It has been widely sold for many years as an oxygenating plant for garden ponds and aquaria. However, it is now viewed as a major threat to Irish lakes and their associated wildlife since it became established in Lough Corrib in 2005. Section 52(6)(a) of the Wildlife Act 1976 (as amended) provides for...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: Under the decentralisation programme, all Dublin based operations of my Department are being decentralised, with the exception of Met Éireann, ENFO, the Private Rented Tenancies Board and a small co-ordination section which it is proposed to retain in Dublin to assist with the Department's Dáil and other business. A total of 682 Dublin based posts will be transferred to four locations in...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: The provision of a new waste water treatment plant in Ballymore Eustace has been approved for funding under the Serviced Land Initiative measure of my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2007-2009 at an estimated cost of €1.4 million. My Department is awaiting submission of a revised Design Review Report for the scheme by Kildare County Council. Following approval of the...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: Sludge is a waste water treatment by-product and the generation of methane gas for use as a fuel is a potentially beneficial feature of sludge treatment, in particular anaerobic digestion. Sludge treatment facilities should not release methane into the environment in the course of normal operation, nor should methane gas be released from a well-operated and maintained waste water collection...

Written Answers — Archaeological Sites: Archaeological Sites (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: Excavations at sites listed on the statutory Record of Monuments and Places are licensed by my Department under section 26 of the National Monuments Act 1930, as amended, with the exception of excavations associated with approved road developments. In the latter case, archaeological excavation works are carried out in accordance with ministerial directions issued under section 14A of the...

Archaeological Sites. (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: Under the provisions of section 4 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1954, a temporary preservation order may be placed on a national monument that appears to me to be in immediate danger of injury or destruction. Such orders are invoked as an interim protective measure to deal with immediate threats to monuments and have a finite duration of six months. Upon their expiration, such...

Archaeological Sites. (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: I thank Deputy Phil Hogan for his good wishes and wish him well in his new portfolio. I also wish well the Labour Party spokespersons, Deputies Joanna Tuffy and Ciarán Lynch. My primary function as Minister responsible for heritage is to protect our archaeological heritage and this is what I intend to do. On taking office, I said I would not only conduct an archaeological review but also...

Archaeological Sites. (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: He probably was. He was part of the Discovery Programme for quite a long time and it was he who came to me to offer advice regarding Rath Lugh. Rath Lugh is on a quite large esker. Professor Newman's immediate concern was that the construction works could undermine the esker despite its being outside the road take. He also discovered that the national monument was probably closer to the...

Archaeological Sites. (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: I appreciate that the Deputy's party is in favour of construction of the M3 motorway. It was a central plank of the Deputy McEntee's by-election campaign. The construction of a motorway is a matter for the National Roads Authority in the first instance. The authority has said that, as far as it is concerned, there is no potential for damage to the national monument, but I, as Minister...

Archaeological Sites. (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: The matter is dealt with by my Department. It has the best qualified staff and they are doing an excellent job. I decided to add to this by——

Archaeological Sites. (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: Not at all. They are doing excellent work. This is not just a matter of archaeology as it relates to the esker itself.

Election Management System. (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: An official report has recently been published in the Netherlands about the Nedap electronic voting system which is in operation there. An official English translation of the report is not yet available. The House will appreciate that I do not propose to comment until I have received the report and had an opportunity to consider it. I understand the committee which prepared the report was...

Election Management System. (10 Oct 2007)

John Gormley: I have no intention of hiding behind any report. I said when I was in Opposition that I was in favour of electronic voting, in principle. I do not know Fine Gael's stance, in principle, on electronic voting. We need to ascertain whether electronic voting is effective and whether we can gain public confidence in it. I hope the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government...