Results 1,321-1,340 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Staff (30 Jan 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 and 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: Sustainable Development Strategy (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The national framework for sustainable development for Ireland, Our Sustainable Future, identifies a set of principles for sustainable development, adapted from sustainability principles already developed by the United Nations and the European Commission. In summary, the framework document promotes an approach to sustainability which respects the social, cultural, economic and environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: 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.  An inter-departmental working group has been...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Building Regulations Compliance (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The new Building Control Amendment Regulations which come into operation on 1 March 2014 will greatly strengthen the arrangements currently in place for the control of building activity by requiring greater accountability in relation to compliance with Building Regulations in the form of statutory certification of design and construction, lodgement of compliance documentation, mandatory...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Waste Management Issues (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The preparation and adoption of a waste management plan is the statutory responsibility of the local authority or authorities concerned. Under section 60(3) of the 1996 Act, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to the performance by a local authority, in particular circumstances, of a statutory function vested in it.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Meters Installation (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 132 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Expenditure (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: My Departmental costs and Local Authority costs relating to the Water Sector Reform Programme have been met from the Departmental Vote. These costs amounted to €15.5m in 2013. The majority of this expenditure related to the domestic metering programme (€7.7m) and the local authority staffing costs of the Water Services Transition Office (€5.7m), which was put in place to...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Questions regarding the development of a district heating scheme in the Dublin 4 area are a matter for Dublin City Council. My Department has not provided funding to Dublin City Council in respect of a district heating scheme.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Appointments (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Question Nos.124and125together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (29 Jan 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 have no role in relation to the procurement by Irish Water of external resources. This is an operational matter for the company. However, Irish Water assures me that their tendering processes are fully compliant with public procurement rules. I...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Commercial Rates Issues (29 Jan 2014)

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...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Leader Programmes Funding (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: In May 2013 it became necessary to revise all Local Action Groups’ (LAGs) Rural Development Programme 2007– 2013 allocations as the Programme value had reduced by over 13% due to an increased co-financing rate agreed with the European Commission. When awarding revised allocations I provided €6 million for the Gaeltacht areas. Again in December 2013 I provided an...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Staff (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Act 2013 provided for the establishment of Irish Water as a subsidiary of Bórd Gáis Éireann to be formed and registered under the Companies Act. I have no role in relation to staff recruitment in Irish Water. However, I understand that Irish Water is currently recruiting to build up the internal capabilities required within the organisation. The number of...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Administration (29 Jan 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 have no role in relation to the procurement by Irish Water of external resources. This is an operational matter for the company. However, Irish Water assures me that their tendering processes are fully compliant with public procurement rules. I...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Taxation Yield (29 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: Questions relating to the collection of the Local property Tax are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance. I assume that the Question refers to general purpose grants from the Local Government Fund. General purpose grants are my Department’s contribution towards meeting the cost to local authorities of providing a reasonable level of services to their customers. The...

European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: We will look after them.

European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." In commending the European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Bill to this House, I am asking Dáil Éireann to continue the long-established practice of implementing in full the recommendations of independent constituency reviews. The Bill provides for the implementation of the recommendations in the report on European Parliament...

Topical Issue Debate: Waste Management Issues (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I assure all Deputies that this matter is being treated extremely seriously by my Department. It is the least we could do considering the scale of the incident and how businesses and residences were so badly affected. I assure Deputy Crowe lessons will be learned from the investigations being carried out. I do not have all the answers for the Deputies. I suppose that is to be expected....

Topical Issue Debate: Waste Management Issues (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter. Last Saturday morning, at approximately 3 a.m., the Dublin fire service responded to an emergency call reporting a large fire at the Oxigen environmental waste facility in an industrial estate at Ballymount, Dublin. In co­ordination with An Garda Síochána, the Dublin fire service has been managing the incident since...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Establishment (28 Jan 2014)

Phil Hogan: The Water Services Acts 2013 provides that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) will be responsible for the independent economic regulation of Irish Water.  The primary role of the Regulator will be to protect the interests of customers and to ensure a consistent and appropriate level of service is provided to them.  In particular, the CER will be responsible for approving...