Results 1,281-1,300 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley
- Local Government Elections (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: It will. If one were to go on what Deputy Tuffy has said, we do have quite a number of town councillors. We actually increased the number of town councillors, believe it or not.
- Dog Breeding Legislation (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: The Dog Breeding Establishments Bill 2009 proposes to give statutory effect to the recommendations of the working group that reviewed the management of dog breeding establishments. The working group was set up in September 2004 by the then Minister to consider the regulation of dog breeding establishments and to make recommendations on the proper management of such establishments. Dog...
- Dog Breeding Legislation (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: I am happy to do so. It is certainly my intention to introduce amendments, but the question is whether we will do so in the Seanad, or whether we can do it in this House on Committee Stage. I think it is probably better if we do it in this House and then go back to the Seanad. I have listened very carefully to the contributions that were made by Deputies in all parties. It is interesting...
- Local Government Reform (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: I propose to take Question Nos. 10 and 203 together. I published the Green Paper on local government, Stronger Local Democracy - Options for Change, in April 2008. That was followed by an extensive programme of national consultation for purposes of informing the preparation of the White Paper on local government. The environment has altered considerably since April 2008, not least due to...
- Local Government Reform (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: If one wants to put it in those terms, I looked at what McCarthy had done and I felt it was necessary to carry out an efficiency review of the local government sector. Deputy Tuffy will have seen the recent reports about the failure to collect commercial water rates. It is absolutely essential that we get the full value for the â¬11 billion, current and capital, spent annually by local...
- Local Government Reform (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: One of the things I did not mention in my response was the introduction for the first time of a tax on second homes. I recall vividly that when it was introduced, Deputies on the Opposition benches said we would be lucky to collect â¬20 million. In fact, we have collected up to â¬63 million very quickly. It has worked efficiently. I do not think the local authorities can complain...
- Local Government Reform (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: We have been and will continue to be enormously flexible with the local authorities on every front.
- Noise Pollution (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: The Government is committed to introducing comprehensive legislation to address noise nuisance. Extensive public consultation was undertaken as part of the preparatory process, during which over 200 submissions were received from the public and key stakeholders. After due consideration of the submissions, the general scheme of a noise nuisance Bill was prepared and approved by the...
- Foreshore Licences (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: Following the enactment of the Foreshore and Dumping at Sea (Amendment) Act 2009, my Department assumed responsibility on 15 January 2010 for a range of foreshore functions, including all foreshore energy related developments, including oil, gas, wind, wave and tidal energy developments; aggregate and mineral extraction developments on the foreshore; foreshore projects in respect of port...
- Foreshore Licences (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: My understanding is that the various processes have not been gone through.
- Foreshore Licences (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: As I have said, we have to go through certain processes.
- Foreshore Licences (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: I understand that the senior counsel is in negotiations with some of the stakeholders to try to get further information. He needs to come back. He has told us he requires more time to do that. It is crucial to establish what the waste streams are and what quantities of waste are involved. I understand it has been difficult to get some of the information because it is commercially...
- Departmental Agencies (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. When the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2009 was debated in the House in December 2009 to consider whether to bring the authority within the audit remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General, to allow the Comptroller and Auditor General to undertake special reports into the authority's operations, and to require its...
- Departmental Agencies (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: I have discussed this matter with the Attorney General, who has advised that the authority can be brought within the remit of the Comptroller and Auditor General by means of an order to be made by the Minister for Finance. This will move the authority from the second to the first Schedule of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993, alongside the other State bodies that are...
- Departmental Agencies (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: Yesterday, we had the Brassil report and the King report, the former dealing with planning issues and the latter with financial accountability and corporate governance. The Deputy also referred to the Moylan report. That is an internal report which was forwarded to my Department as a matter of courtesy. I indicated yesterday when I was questioned by RTE that I have no difficulty with that...
- Departmental Agencies (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: I already referred to that.
- Departmental Agencies (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: That is not the advice I have received from the Attorney General and it would not make sense if it were so. I have been informed that the remit is to be extended so that the Comptroller and Auditor General can look at the issues that were raised in the two reports. I have already outlined the advice we received from the Attorney General, namely, that the authority can be brought within the...
- Departmental Agencies (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: I have met briefly with the Chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts and he welcomed my decision on this matter. As the Minister with responsibility for the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, I am most anxious that we have total openness and transparency in these matters. The DDDA is getting on with the important work it is doing and has made a major contribution to the development...
- Departmental Agencies (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: The Deputy knows the reason I did not; I had not received the reports at that time.
- Departmental Agencies (27 May 2010)
John Gormley: Obviously, I have spoken to the departmental representatives on the board of the DDDA. I already answered the Deputy's question about the Moylan report. I have no difficulty at all in publishing that report, which was sent to me as a matter of courtesy. It is the property of the DDDA but, as I said, I am in favour of its publication. However, these reports have been cited in newspaper...