Results 7,461-7,480 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Commencement of Legislation: Commencement of Legislation (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I refer to my reply to Questions Nos. 1 and 2 on today's Order of Business. I will sign a Commencement Order for the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 in advance of the commencement of the registration system which is expected to be operational in mid-April 2012.

Local Authority Charges (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. I have stated on a number of occasions that I will keep under review the need to provide financial support to households whose domestic waste water treatment systems are deemed, following inspection, to require substantial remediation or upgrading. The need for any such support will be only become clearer when inspections are being carried...

Local Authority Charges (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I do not know what I have to do in order to make it easy for people to understand that this is a very well laid out and comprehensible document setting out the reasons we must have a licensing and monitoring inspection system in order to comply with a European Court of Justice judgment. The full details are laid out on how inspections will be carried out and when people can register has...

Local Authority Charges (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I was only away for a day and the Deputy missed me.

Local Authority Charges (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: Sinn Féin is arguing that we should sign a blank cheque without knowing the extent of the problem.

Local Authority Charges (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: It is. I have explained very clearly to the Deputy that when I know the extent of the problem arising from inspections, I can deal with it. Neither the Deputy nor anybody else knows what the issues will be in 2013 arising from inspections. I have dealt with all the issues raised by the Deputy's party through misinformation and otherwise over the past nine months.

Local Authority Charges (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: To be fair, the Deputy was not party to it, although some of his party members were. Deputy Martin Ferris and others could educate him about public meetings and misinformation in the House. Those Deputies have been seeking to misinform and frighten people on an issue that should not cause a problem for many. The Deputy mentioned some people with high mortgages but they would have already...

Local Authority Charges (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: Every step of the way we have been in contact with the European Commission and my predecessor was also in contact with it. The Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government submitted proposals on the basis that every septic tank would have to be inspected, with an annual inspection charge and compliance with the 2009 EPA code of practice. I immediately engaged with the Commission to indicate this was...

Local Authority Charges (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I have already said I will examine the financial position after inspections commence. The days of the blank cheque are over, as the Deputy knows.

Local Authority Charges (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I agree with Deputy Stanley. He correctly pointed out I have given people as much flexibility as I possibly can to comply with the court judgment that there is no damage to public health or the environment. Irresponsible people have gone around the country and effectively advocated that watercourses should be polluted and people's households, businesses and neighbours should suffer from...

Waste Management (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: The charges applied by waste management companies are a matter between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, particularly the conditions attached to each waste collector's collection permit issued by the relevant local authority under the Waste Management (Collection Permit) Regulations 2007, as amended....

Waste Management (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I do not intend to nationalise the household waste collection system.

Waste Management (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: That is Deputy Collins's opinion. I am telling her what I am doing. I do not intend to make that recommendation to the Government. People have several opportunities to have their waste collected. Some people choose not to pay or not to have it collected. Such people are open to challenge under the waste collection legislation. Fewer than 18,000 people have refused to sign up to having...

Waste Management (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: As I stated, I do not subscribe to the view that we must have a nationalised household waste collection service. People have many choices with regard to recycling and civic amenity centres, and they also have a choice with regard to who will collect their waste. I agree with the Deputy that it is not acceptable to have five different collectors going into one housing estate. We are seeing...

Social and Affordable Housing (8 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: In December 2011 NAMA identified more than 2,000 properties as being potentially available for social housing. While most of these are located in the greater Dublin region and in Cork, properties are identified in a total of 15 local authority areas throughout the country. A steering group was then established to monitor progress, identify and address any obstacles that arise in particular...

Written Answers — Local Authority Rates: Local Authority Rates (7 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Act 2001. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each individual local authority. The annual rate on valuation (ARV), which is applied...

Written Answers — Noise Pollution: Noise Pollution (7 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: Currently, a person experiencing noise nuisance may contact their local authority, which may initiate proceedings on grounds of noise nuisance under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992. This Act also provides for any person, or group of persons, to seek an order in the District Court to have noise giving reasonable cause for annoyance abated. The procedures involved have been...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (7 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to Question No. 136 of 1 February 2012 which sets out the position in this matter.

Written Answers — Radon Gas Levels: Radon Gas Levels (7 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Government, largely through the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII), has worked to assess the extent of the incidence of radon in Ireland, and to increase public awareness of the issue. In 2002 the RPII published the report of the National Radon Survey of radon in homes in Ireland. The results of the national radon survey identified certain parts of the country which are...

Written Answers — Water Services: Water Services (7 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Programme for Government provides for the establishment of a new State-owned national water authority to take over responsibility for managing and supervising investment in water services infrastructure and to manage the domestic water metering programme. The Memorandum of Understanding between Ireland and the EU/IMF commits Ireland to undertaking an independent assessment of the...