Search Results for 'Environment and Local Government'

Members of Fine Gael in Kilkenny have expressed their ‘sincere joy and pride’ at the appointment of Phil Hogan as Minister for the Environment and Local Government.

The Government’s ‘pie in the sky’ polluter pays policy is road blocking vital water and sewerage schemes being delivered to County Mayo, according to Fine Gael councillor Michelle Mulherin.

Graiguenamanagh Labour Councillor Ann Phelan has welcomed the recent announement that a further €150,000 and €250,000 has been allocated to Kilkenny and Carlow County Councils respectively under the housing adaptation scheme.

Residents in Old Mervue face a three week wait before the council obtains the final reports on the feasibility of installing water filters in houses to remove the lead contamination from the water supply.

Local Government is often the butt of many jokes: from the depiction of gombeen councillors in RTE’s Hall’s Pictorial Weekly through to Pat Shortt’s more recent comic creation of Councillor Maurice Hickey there has been quite a lot of comic material emanating from local council chambers.

The delisting of a historical house as part of the Ballina Town Development plan caused some debate in the council chamber this week. Cllr Tommy Cooke called on Paddy Mahon, town manager, to meet with the family in question and sort out the situation, an idea that was supported by a number of the councillors in the chamber.

Kilkenny Local Authorities will benefit from additional funding from the Department of the Environment and Local Government for the adaptation of houses for the disabled and elderly population this year.

Westport has secured an extra €100,000 from the Department of the Environment and Local Government to progress the eight outstanding recommendations of the EPA action plan. The funding was secured on foot of a recent EPA report regarding aluminium levels in the drinking water in Westport and Louisburgh.

The Minister for Environment and Local Government John Gormley has come in for sharp criticism from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny regarding payments to Mayo County Council for funding under the housing aid grants administered by local authorities. The situation is so dire at present that Mayo County Council does not have the financial resources to continue approving grants leaving many people without the necessary funding to carry out essential repairs to their homes.

From the initial planning stages it has been a long struggle for the Mayo County Development Plan 2008 to 2014 to come to fruition to the satisfaction of the elected members and the Department of Environment and Local Government under the direction of Minister John Gormley. But last Monday the new development plan, which has taken up many hours of planning, discussion, meetings and angry exchanges across the country, finally came to a conclusion when the elected members voted in favour of a new ministerial directive issued by Minister for the Environment John Gormley on September 16 2009, overturning his previous directive of July 11 2008.