Results 7,481-7,500 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (7 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: My Department's only office in Kerry is the Met Éireann Valentia Meteorological and Geophysical Observatory, at Cahirsiveen. In line with Met Éireann's automation of meteorological observations, some activities at the Observatory will be automated and rationalised during 2012. This will mean a re-organisation of resources at the Observatory resulting in the re-assignment of a small number...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (7 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: Directive 94/62/EC (as amended) on Packaging and Packaging Waste required Ireland to achieve recovery rates of 25% or more for packaging by 30 June 2001, 50% or more by 31 December 2005 and 60% by 31 December 2011. Repak Limited was established in 1997 as a not for profit organisation as the collective industry response to the need to meet Ireland's packaging waste recovery and recycling...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (7 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: Ms Laura Burke was appointed Director-General of the Environmental Protection Agency on November 8 2011 and was a member of the Board. Ms Burke continues to be a member of the Board. Mr John O'Connor was appointed Chief Executive of the Housing & Sustainable Communities Ltd on 8 December 2010 and is a board member.

Written Answers — Public Sector Pay: Public Sector Pay (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: Salaries of City and County Managers are set out in the City and County Managers (Remuneration) (No.2) Order 2010. The salaries for City and County Managers are set out in the table. Local Authority Manager Salary Dublin City Council € 189,301 Cork County Council Fingal County Council South Dublin County Council € 162,062 Cork City Council Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the reply to question no. 146 of 25 January 2012 which sets out the position in this matter. The documentation for the State Aid notification was submitted through the relevant EU notification systems on 13 January 2012. As soon as my Department receives the Commission decision we will notify all Local Development Companies and the project referred to in the question will be...

Written Answers — Household Charge: Household Charge (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 339, 361 and 366 together. The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 and the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 provide the legislation underpinning the household charge. Interpretation of the legislation is a matter for legal advice in individual cases and ultimately a matter for the Courts. Section 3 of the Act provides that an...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 340 to 342, inclusive, and 360 together. Article 78 of the Local Government (Superannuation) (Consolidation) Scheme 1998 / 2007 deals with the pension entitlements of city and county managers. My Department has examined the new pension terms for secretaries general to assess how they apply to city and county managers. The implementation of new pension terms...

Written Answers — Building Regulations: Building Regulations (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I have set up an independent Panel to examine the problem of pyrite in private housing and I have asked the Panel to report to me early this year. When I receive the report, I will give early and careful consideration to it and any recommendations it may contain.

Written Answers — Local Government Elections: Local Government Elections (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: Section 13 of the Local Government Act, 2001 provides that certain classes of persons are disqualified from being a member of a local authority. Section 13(h) provides that a civil servant who is not by terms of employment expressly permitted to be a member of a local authority is disqualified. In this regard, I understand that civil servants in the clerical grades and non-industrial grades...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: Section 5(1) of the Electoral Act 1997, as amended, requires that a Constituency Commission be established to review Dáil and European Parliament constituencies following the publication by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) of the preliminary results of a Census. Following the publication of the preliminary results of the 2011 census by the CSO last year I established a Constituency...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: The rate of grant available for Group Sewerage Schemes is €2,031.58 per house or 75% of the cost of the scheme, whichever is the lesser. I have accepted a proposal from the National Rural Water Services Committee, who have a role in advising me on rural water policy, that the rate of grant be reviewed during 2012. They will be examining this issue, taking into account, inter alia, the...

Written Answers — Local Authority Budgets: Local Authority Budgets (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I refer to the replies to Question numbers 131 and 134 of 29 September 2011, 466 of 24 January 2012 and 196 of 22 February 2012, in which I stated that it is a matter for each local authority, including Sligo County Council, to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. At the...

Written Answers — Household Charge: Household Charge (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: I have recently established an interdepartmental expert Group to design an equitable property tax having regard to its terms of reference. This Group, reflecting the principal Departments/Office concerned, has been asked to report to me by end April, 2012. I will then bring proposals to Government for decisions on the structure and modalities of the property tax. The members of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: The initiative referred to in the Question was one of a series of measures implemented through the Local Development Social Inclusion Programme (LDSIP) that was designed to counter disadvantage and to promote equality and social and economic inclusion. The LDSIP programme came to an end on 31 December 2009 and was replaced by a new programme, the Local and Community Development Programme...

Written Answers — Water Services: Water Services (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: As indicated in the reply to Question No. 144 of 29 February 2012, a public consultation process on the Government's proposals for the establishment of a new public water utility and the proposed approach to water charges and water metering concluded on 24 February. My Department received more than 300 submissions and these are now being considered. The approach to be taken for the...

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2012 , a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, provides for the development of a comprehensive range of new water services infrastructure in County Galway. The programme includes contracts under construction and to commence to the value of some €130 million in Co. Galway during the period of the programme. The programme...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: Wood Printcraft, Coolock was awarded the contract and supplied the household charge leaflet for the amount of €36,776.60. The National Procurement Service of the OPW has a framework agreement in place for the supply of leaflets and posters and Wood Printcraft was selected from the approved panel under this framework agreement.

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: The recruitment moratorium in the Public Service was introduced by the Government in March 2009 as an emergency measure in response to the financial crisis facing the State. Under the terms of the moratorium no public service post, however arising, may be filled. When vacancies arise public bodies must reallocate or reorganise work or staff accordingly. My Department has delegated sanction...

Written Answers — Local Authority Expenditure: Local Authority Expenditure (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: The information requested is not available in my Department. The Local Government Act 2001 (Section 142) Regulations 2010 and the Guidelines accompanying the Regulations provide the basis for local authorities' consideration of appropriate training and development for councillors. The application of the Regulations and the Guidelines is a matter for each local authority concerned.

Written Answers — Household Charge: Household Charge (6 Mar 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 and the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 provide the legislative basis for the household charge. Under the legislation, an owner of a residential property on the liability date of 1 January 2012 is liable to pay the household charge by 31 March 2012, unless otherwise exempted or entitled to claim a waiver.