Results 13,341-13,360 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Freedom of Information (21 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: No.

Proposed Legislation (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: It is in my constituency.

Written Answers — Water Charges: Water Charges (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Progamme for Government provides for the introduction of a fair funding model to deliver clean and reliable water. The objective is to install water meters in households and move to a charging system based on usage above a free allowance. The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government is currently preparing a strategy to implement these proposals, including the approach to...

Water Charges (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: The programme for Government provides for the introduction of a fair funding model to deliver clean and reliable water. The objective is to install water meters in households and move to a charging system based on usage above a free allowance. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is currently preparing a strategy to implement these proposals, including the...

Water Charges (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: Irish Water will not be a private company but a State-owned operation. The Government and the Dáil will be informed of the powers and responsibilities it will have. There is a tender out currently. I hope we will have an interim report by the end of July and a full report in October. The Minister will then go to Cabinet with proposals which we will discuss openly in the House. It is not...

Water Charges (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: The programme for Government provides for an allowance and after that there will be a charge. Up to 2,000 people will work on installing the meters in homes. That is a large number of jobs, which will be important to local communities.

Water Charges (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 14, 44 and 51 together. The programme for Government provides for the introduction of a fair funding model to deliver clean and reliable water. The objective is to install water meters in households and move to a charging system based on usage above a free allowance. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is currently preparing...

Water Charges (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: Approximately 4,000 people are currently working in the water services programme, with 4,000 others providing ancillary services. The installation of meters will provide jobs for 1,500 to 1,800 people each year for at least three years. We will have more people working than ever before. The Deputy asked what will be Irish Water, and that question will be answered in the report....

Water Charges (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: When the details are made available they will be made public and the Government will consider all aspects of the report. I did some research on other countries and many do not provide a free allowance. It is clear that within each home that will pay for the service, there will be an opportunity to reduce water consumption and the consequent bill. All of those issues must be dealt with and...

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Deputies opposite for putting down this motion. I listened to the debate with great interest. I must clarify some issues, for the benefit of everyone in the country. While water may fall from the sky, it does not get into our taps very easily. There are significant costs attached to the 956 separate public water supply zones in Ireland. Of those 956 public water supplies the...

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: However, let us be realistic about it. That will actually happen.

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am trying to answer the Deputy's question. The money must come from somewhere and we believe it is reasonable and fair that every household should pay for the water after they have been given a free allowance to which it can work. Internationally conservation results from metering. I encourage you to go to your local authority and ask it to show you - as I did with my local authority -...

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I will obey the rules and I will look at the Acting Chairman. To run a safe water supply we need to raise the money and we need to do it fairly, which is what we are doing. I wish to make one further point - I will be responding to parliamentary questions later. The Irish water company to be set up will be State owned. Its establishment does not represent the start of privatisation of...

Water and Sewerage Services (16 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: He is in the Labour Party.

Written Answers — Water Charges: Water Charges (15 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to take Questions Nos. 392 and 409 together. In order to address a commitment in the Programme for Government, my Department is preparing proposals for the installation of meters on households connected to a public water supply, including consideration of the costs and benefits of the various options for the metering programme. Proposals on the matter will be submitted to the...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (15 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: The developer of any development, including a residential development, is statutorily required to complete the development in accordance with the terms of the planning permission. A development which has not been completed in accordance with the planning permission is unauthorised development. Enforcement of planning control is a matter for the planning authorities, who have substantial...

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (15 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: New regulations and guidance have been developed by my Department in the context of the social housing reform programme to provide that housing authorities can disregard a household's current accommodation for the purposes of determining eligibility for social housing support where that household's current accommodation has been deemed unsustainable for economic reasons. Local authorities...

State Airports (9 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I congratulate the Deputy on his good news today. I wish him all the best in his Chairmanship. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. As the Deputy will recall, the programme for Government makes clear that the Government "will enforce the prohibition of the use of Irish air space, airports and related facilities for purposes not in...

Fisheries Protection (9 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Deputy Bannon for raising this matter, which he has discussed privately with me on numerous occasions. I am taking this Adjournment debate on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte. International expert advice is that European eel stocks have declined steeply and in 2008 the expensive delicacy was listed as officially endangered,...

Hospital Services (9 Jun 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Deputy McFadden for raising this issue. The Government is committed to supporting people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Where this is not feasible, the HSE supports access to quality long-term residential care where this is appropriate. We continue to develop and improve health services in all regions of the country...