Results 1,581-1,600 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: My Department is currently participating in, and will continue to contribute proactively to, discussions at EU level on a new Waste Framework Directive, which will include provisions in relation to waste prevention across all waste streams. It is likely that legislation will be required to transpose the new waste framework directive into Irish law once agreement has been reached by Member...

Written Answers — Local Authority Staff: Local Authority Staff (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: Based on the information supplied by local authorities, the number and category of staff, expressed in whole time equivalents, employed by each local authority (including town councils) at the end of 2006, and the change over 2002 is included in the table below. Figures are not compiled by my Department by administrative area per head of population. 2006 Local Authority Managerial/...

Written Answers — Departmental Strategy Statements: Departmental Strategy Statements (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: The cost to my Department of publishing strategic documents since 1997 is €578,269.02. The documents are listed in the following table: Strategic Document Managing Ireland's Rivers and Lakes — A Catchment-based Strategy Against Eutrophication — 1997 Strategic Review of the Construction Industry (April 1997) Sustainable Development — A Strategy for Ireland (1997) Branching Out...

Written Answers — Water Quality: Water Quality (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121, 144 and 201 together. Recent annual reports by the Environmental Protection Agency on the quality of drinking water in Ireland indicate a sustained increase in the overall rate of compliance with all prescribed standards, from 96.1% in 2003 to 96.4% in 2004, and up to 96.7% in its most recently published report for 2005. Notwithstanding high overall...

Written Answers — Election Management System: Election Management System (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 171 together. The Government decision to proceed with the movement of the electronic voting equipment to centralised premises was made taking into account a range of factors, including costs of current and centralised arrangements and the likely benefits to be realised. In this regard, the Commission on Electronic Voting in its Second Report concluded...

Written Answers — Election Expenditure: Election Expenditure (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: Section 32 of the Electoral Act 1997, as amended, specifies the maximum amounts of expenditure which may be incurred on behalf of a candidate at a Dáil election. The amounts are €25,394.76 in a 3 seat constituency; €31,743.45 in a 4 seat constituency; and €38,092.14 in a 5 seat constituency. Section 3 of the Act provides that these amounts may be varied, by order of the Minister for...

Written Answers — Urban Renewal Schemes: Urban Renewal Schemes (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: Three area-based tax incentive renewal schemes were introduced since 1997. These were the 1999 Urban Renewal Scheme, the 2000 Town Renewal Scheme and the 2001 Living Over the Shop (LOTS) scheme. The three schemes were subject to a detailed review in 2005, carried out by Goodbody Economic Consultants on behalf of the Department of Finance. The relevant report was published in February 2006...

Written Answers — Control of Dogs: Control of Dogs (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 191 together. The Control of Dogs Acts 1986 and 1992 place statutory responsibility for dog control and licensing services on local authorities. The implementation of the Acts is vested in local authorities who have power to appoint dog wardens, to provide shelters for stray and other dogs, to impose on-the-spot fines for a number of offences and to...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 161 together. A statutory Scheme for the provision of services through Irish as provided for under Section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003 was prepared by my Department, following public consultation during 2004-2005. The Scheme, which came into effect on 15 August 2005, sets out how the Department will give effect over a three-year period to...

Written Answers — Radon Gas Awareness: Radon Gas Awareness (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: Over the years, the Government, largely through the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII), has committed significant resources to assessing the incidence of radon throughout the country and highlighting public awareness of radon and the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to high concentrations. The RPII continues to actively promote public awareness of radon and to...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: The provision and improvement of non-national roads is a matter for local authorities to be funded from their own resources supplemented by State grants provided by my Department. There have been significant increases in recent years in the level of State funding provided to local authorities for the provision, improvement and maintenance of non-national roads. State funding in 2007 for...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: Irish waste management policy is based on the internationally recognised integrated approach which places the main emphasis on waste prevention, reuse and recycling. The local authorities have the statutory responsibility for waste management planning, generally on a regional basis. Control to these plans is the need to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to manage our waste...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: The amount collected in development contributions has increased significantly in recent years, from €122m in 2001 to €519m in 2005 (based on information supplied for Annual Planning Statistics). This reflects to the large increase in construction activity (which in turn led to increased demands for infrastructure), as well as the impact of the now, schemes of development levies finalised...

Written Answers — Nuclear Safety: Nuclear Safety (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 141, 531 and 541 together. In 1998 the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic agreed to a strategy to reduce discharges of radioactivity. The so-called Sintra Strategy requires all Contracting Parties to the Convention to prevent pollution of the maritime area from ionizing radiation through progressive and...

Written Answers — Water Pollution: Water Pollution (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 145, 534 and 573 together. Details of approved wastewater schemes are set out in my Department's Water Services Investment Programme 2005-2007 which is available in the Oireachtas Library. The schemes included in the Programme are derived mainly from regular assessments of needs undertaken by local authorities, at my Department's request, as an input to the...

Written Answers — Register of Electors: Register of Electors (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 556 together. The Electoral (Amendment) Act 2006, enacted in December 2006, provides for postal voting facilities for prisoners. Detailed guidance and application forms in this regard were issued by my Department to all registration authorities on 11 January 2007, including guidance on implementation of the statutory requirement on authorities to give...

Written Answers — Environmental Policy: Environmental Policy (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: Investment under the National Development Plan (NDP) will make a major contribution to the enhancement and sustainability of our environment by requiring that environmental considerations be central to the implementation of sectoral policies over the period of the Plan. There will also be direct investment of some €25 billion under the following NDP sub-programmes which will directly...

Written Answers — Local Authority Grants: Local Authority Grants (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: I assume that the Question refers to funding in 2007 for Local Authority Architectural Conservation Grants, which stands at €5.059m. In addition, the Revised Book of Estimates provides funding in 2007 of €12.516m for Built Heritage Capital Projects and of €1.129m for grants to local authorities for employment of Conservation Officers. Needs in relation to built heritage protection and...

Written Answers — Energy Conservation: Energy Conservation (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: Thermal performance and insulation standards under Part L of the Building Regulations (Conservation of Fuel and Energy) have been progressively increased since their introduction in 1992 and are due for further upward adjustment by 2008. The 2000 National Climate Change Strategy (NCCS) proposed that 1997 Part L thermal performance standards (operative since 1 July 1998) be significantly...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (27 Feb 2007)

Dick Roche: I propose to take Questions Nos. 155, 199 and 214 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 83 on today's order paper.