Results 1-20 of 47 for going forward speaker:John Paul Phelan

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: ...assemblies, I was the only one who never mentioned them because there is no affinity from the population whatsoever to them. We did not align them with the European electoral boundaries. Thank God we did not do this because the European election boundaries are ridiculous. There is an area from Wicklow to Kerry. We should go back to something approaching Leinster-Munster and...

Our Rural Future Policy: Statements (14 Jun 2023)

John Paul Phelan: ...development in this country, generally speaking, it is the local authorities that fall down, not the Department itself. The Department is more than willing to provide support. Organised communities that put forward properly thought-through plans are being supported by the Minister and her Department. I thank her sincerely for that. I will name two places in my own county. Despite its...

Electoral Reform Bill 2022: Second Stage (5 Apr 2022)

John Paul Phelan: ...of this House. The same can be said of those in the Upper House and local authority members across the country. Like so many things in Ireland, aspects of our public life that work well often go unremarked upon. I remember my first visit to the franchise section during my time in the Custom House, and discovering that our entire democratic process was dependent on ten or 12 people in a...

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Bill 2022: Second Stage (3 Feb 2022)

John Paul Phelan: ...have not really in Ireland had an honest and open debate about energy policy. I disagree with many of the points made by Deputies Paul Murphy and Richard Boyd Barrett but they have certainly put forward their perspectives with their usual eloquence and energy. I do not necessarily or particularly agree with Deputy Cowen that privatisation of the ESB is the right option to consider at...

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: ...the court judgment, the drafting of new criteria for eligibility for house construction in rural areas is not yet completed but I understand it is close to completion. In relation to how we go forward with rural development, the point the Deputy makes is correct. There are plenty of people in Ireland who would not like to see any more houses built in rural areas for ideological...

Report of the Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (7 Nov 2019)

John Paul Phelan: ...wide-ranging discussion and I have no doubt Members in this House would also like to get their views on the record about this report. I repeat my acknowledgement of and thanks for the work that has gone into the preparation of the report and the accompanying Bill by the 23 members of the group. I also again thank Senator Michael McDowell for chairing the group. Before I comment on...

Seanad: Seanad Reform Implementation Group: Statements (24 Sep 2019)

John Paul Phelan: ...provisions relating to the Seanad with the aim of achieving more meaningful reform to having an electorate composed only of residents in the State. Today's statements arise as a result of the Government's consideration of the report and its wish to reflect on the position of the Oireachtas before taking any further steps. I am here to listen to the views of Senators. The implementation...

Seanad: Local Government Rates and Other Matters Bill 2018: Second Stage (9 Jul 2019)

John Paul Phelan: I am very pleased to bring this important Bill before the Seanad. The purpose of the Bill is to modernise the commercial rates system. Commercial rates make up approximately one third of local government current income every year and are the single largest income source for local authorities, providing income of almost €1.5 billion per annum, between 15% and 53% of total funding for...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government (Rates) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (26 Jun 2019)

John Paul Phelan: ...purpose of section 20(d), as proposed in amendment No. 15, is to ensure that this loophole is covered off. The Deputy also referred to the appeals process and he makes a valid point. Talk is ongoing between departmental officials and the Valuation Office to ensure staffing levels will be sufficient to allow for valuations to occur and for appeals to be heard in a timely fashion. When...

Seanad: Directly Elected Mayors: Statements (29 Jan 2019)

John Paul Phelan: ...were sportspersons or anything else in a previous life. Ultimately, the people will make the call as to who their directly elected mayor will be after individuals have decided to put themselves forward for the role. I am sure parties will also contest these elections and run candidates. In respect of the meeting with the County and City Management Association, CCMA, scheduled for the...

Seanad: Local Government Bill 2018: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2018)

John Paul Phelan: ..., that provision is contained here. The Senators are making the point essentially made by Senator Grace O'Sullivan earlier about the Cork area strategic plan, CASP, and LUTS or, as we are going to call it, the metropolitan governance plan for mid-Cork, including the city and everything around it. The population of this area will ultimately in the not-too-distant future be in the region of...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Referendum Campaigns (11 Dec 2018)

John Paul Phelan: ...Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) Bill (No.2) 2016 which is now at Committee stage.  On 20 November 2018, the Government approved the priority drafting of amendments to be made to this Bill, with work currently on-going.  These amendments are to focus on retaining the entity charged with the provision of public water services in public ownership.  It is intended that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Joint Committee
Role and Remuneration of Elected Local Authority Members: Discussion (5 Dec 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I thank the committee for allowing me the opportunity to address it. I will not go through the speech delivered earlier and I will take it largely as read, although I will refer to a few points in it. I acknowledge the presence of the representatives of the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and the Local Authorities Members Association, LAMA, in the Gallery. I also acknowledge...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Constitutional Amendments (5 Dec 2018)

John Paul Phelan: ...in Public Ownership) Bill (No.2) 2016 which is now at Committee stage. On 20 November 2018, the Government approved the priority drafting of amendments to be made to this Bill, with work currently on-going. These amendments are to focus on retaining the entity charged with the provision of public water services in public ownership. It is intended that the draft wording arising, once...

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Yes, we intend establish them on a statutory footing. The powers they will have will be primarily in the area of forward planning and transport. Currently, such functions are not adequately performed by local authorities. A good example of co-operation, perhaps even the best example in the country, is at Graiguecullen, which straddles the boundary between Carlow and Laois. The authorities...

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I will endeavour to continue from where I stopped when I began my contribution. I propose to bring forward a number of amendments to the main provisions dealing with the Cork boundary alteration following consultation by the Department with the Cork implementation oversight group and comments received from the Cork local authorities since the Bill was published. I will now go through...

Seanad: Electoral Commission: Statements (27 Sep 2018)

John Paul Phelan: ...Coffey referred to the modernisation of the register. In fact, every second Senator referred to that. Something always strikes me about election turnout. I was in a discussion this morning on local government in other parts of the world, in particular in Britain where local authorities have more functions. Whether they operate better is arguable but turnout for local elections in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: National Planning Framework (20 Sep 2018)

John Paul Phelan: ..., Deputy Murphy, and for providing me with the opportunity to discuss the population growth projections for County Meath as set out under the national planning framework. The suggestion being put forward that there is a "cap" on housing delivery in County Meath is erroneous and misleading, but it is also disappointing given that, instead of a focus on more and more commuter-driven...

Urban Regeneration and Housing (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (3 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I thank the Deputies who spoke and Deputy Wallace for introducing his Bill. As the Minister of State, Deputy English, said earlier, while the Government has some differences of opinion and emphasis, it is remarkable that the Government's position on the levy, and its establishment, has been echoed by all those who spoke on the Bill. There is a significant difference in terms of scale of the...