Results 1,201-1,220 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Section 122 of the Local Government Act 2001 provides for audit committees in each city and county council. While section 5 of the Local Government (Business Improvement Districts) Act 2006 provided for the replacement of section 122 with a new provision, that new section was not commenced. Detailed guidelines were prepared for local authorities dealing with various issues including...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Motor Tax Exemptions (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The new arrangements for declaring a vehicle off the road are provided for in the Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013. The Act commenced on 1 July 2013 and provided for a three month transition period to the end of September 2013 to allow motorists to bring their motor tax status up to date. During the transition period , a procedure was put in place to allow those who were abroad, and not...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Introduction (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Question Nos. 114 and 121 together. The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to the introduction of water charges based on usage above a free allowance. The Government considers that charging based on usage is the fairest way to charge for water and it has, therefore, decided that water meters should be installed in households connected to public water supplies....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff Numbers (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: My Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers in local authorities. The data gathered do not provide detail in respect of age or gender within each local authority, and accordingly, the information requested is not available in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Development Companies Funding (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Funding allocations to Local Development Companies for the period 2011 to 2014 under the Local and Community Development Programme are set out in the following table. Local Development Company 2011 2012 2013 2014 Avondhu/Blackwater Partnership Limited €501,044 €450,940 €419,374 €419,374 Ballyfermot Partnership €975,844 €728,113...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Irish Water is being established to accelerate capital investment in water services and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of water services delivery. The organisation needs to be appropriately resourced to fulfil this task but will not be over-staffed. Irish Water is currently recruiting to build up the required internal capabilities and the number of staff employed is an operational...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Dog Licences (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Each year my Department publishes statistics on our website in respect of a range of local authority dog control responsibilities, including the range of statistics sought in the Question. This information is currently available up to 2012 at the following link:. Statistics from each local authority in relation to 2013 are being collated and verified and will be published as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE) and that the new company should be formed and registered under the Companies Acts. The Memorandum and Articles of Association, which were adopted by Irish Water on its incorporation in July 2013, provide that the appointment of directors to the Board of Irish Water...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Staff (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann to be formed and registered under the Companies Act. A fundamental underpinning of the water reform programme is to ensure that the skills and experience built up over many years in local authorities are put to best use for the long-term benefit of the customer and that...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Compliance (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Building Control Act 1990 places a legal obligation on owners, designers and builders to ensure that their building complies with the relevant requirements of the building regulations. These obligations apply to all sectors of the housing and construction market, including the self-build sector. Local building control authorities have powers to inspect and enforce compliance and where...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (5 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: As Irish Water is a commercial utility and a subsidiary of Bord Gáis Éireann (BGE), formed and registered under the Companies Act, I and my Department will not necessarily have access to details of, or direct accountability for, expenditure and other organisational matters in relation to the company. Procurement by Irish Water of external resources is a matter for the company and I...

Other Questions: Irish Water Establishment (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy knows all about it.

Other Questions: Irish Water Establishment (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: What we are trying to do is deal with a huge legacy in regard to under-investment in water services, and we must do that under the constraints of a public capital programme, which will be a problem for the next few years whether we like it or not, but Dublin, and the east coast in particular, cannot wait that long for investment in water. Deputy Murphy should be aware that in the...

Other Questions: Irish Water Establishment (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Minister, Deputy Brendan Howlin, has dealt with the issues regarding freedom of information. We have put in place and set in train the necessary orders to ensure it will happen as quickly as possible. We have absolutely nothing to hide with regard to the establishment of Irish Water. It is a very difficult task to establish a new public water utility in the timeframe laid down by the...

Other Questions: Irish Water Establishment (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: Deputy Mick Wallace is very familiar with difficulties we had in the construction boom in pipes being put just under the surface of the ground, the lack of building controls and dealing with various other issues. We are trying to deal with those as well, and we will deal with them in respect of new building code regulations as well as investment in the first-leak policy.

Other Questions: Irish Water Establishment (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 90 and 455 together. I have no difficulty with providing any information and if there are documents such as a foundation document, I will make them available to the Deputy. The document to which I assume she is referring is the project initiation document - the starting process in the early days in the Department back in 2012 - which was compiled by Bord...

Other Questions: Irish Water Staff (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: First, there will be no privatisation of Irish Water unless the Deputy is going to support this in the future. I have no intention of bringing that proposition to the Government or the Oireachtas and I note it would require an Act of the Oireachtas to change the legislation passed in respect of this matter.

Other Questions: Irish Water Staff (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy is welcome to the Chamber. The criteria used to assess the relative merits of an existing utility versus a greenfield operation meant the Government gave consideration to existing semi-State companies. In order to leverage savings and their capability, the Government considered Bord na Móna and Bord Gáis Energy on the grounds of certain criteria, including legal and...

Other Questions: Irish Water Staff (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I do not know to what dogs the Deputy has been speaking.

Other Questions: Irish Water Staff (4 Feb 2014)

Phil Hogan: I do not know to what dogs the Deputy has been talking on the street, but I assure her that there will be no privatisation of water services by the Government. Although I do not know, perhaps she might support a future Government in that regard and may have something in mind. All I can do is to set out what is the current and the future position of the two parties in government on Irish...