Results 4,001-4,020 of 28,162 for speaker:Catherine Murphy

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I have a problem with the word "consulted". They will be asked and may be ignored. Again, it will come down to culture.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I know that, but we have all been there.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: On consultation, I have been there. We will see how it works. There is still always the control mechanism.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: Certain things cannot be put into legislation and I accept that. I accept this is about valuation and all the rest and cannot be accepted. However, it flags the very serious issue of the large commercial entities. It comes down to the planning decisions to position large commercial entities on the periphery of towns, which are displacing jobs and ruining the viability of town centres....

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: This is a significant issue. I intend to oppose the section on Report Stage. This provision might be all right for a city centre where there is a great deal of activity, but significant issues will flow from it where there is a 100% liability for rates and no prospect of occupying a building.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: In any town or village in the country, the vacancy rates are significant. One cannot but notice them. People are not leaving premises vacant for any reason other than insufficient income. If it is a question of applying no rates remission for vacant properties, what would be the knock-on effect? There would be no loss of income, as the local authorities would be flat out going through the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: Yes.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: What we do not want is increases for people who have improved premises, which work does not result in a big increase in income. We should not be discouraging people from improving premises. The Minister referred to councillors being irresponsible or responsible. Increases or decreases in rates will be determined by income coming from other streams, one of which is the Local Government...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: It is not exclusively down to-----

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: It is not exclusively an issue for councillors. The mechanism for the distribution of funds from the Local Government Fund is nonsensical. I do not think Einstein would be able to figure out. There is no rationale for it whatsoever. As such, that responsibility is a bit of a misnomer.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I have tabled amendment No. 51 on behalf of Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan. Essentially, it echoes some of the points made. The wording positions one community development committee at county level but I am concerned because community development happens at a much lower level. This changes the nature of much of what is happening. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan wanted me to speak about what happens...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I move amendment No. 51: In page 41, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following:“(b) ensure that relevant bodies including Local Community Development Projects which currently operate by local voluntary management committees, retain their management committees to ensure a level of independent management is held by the projects, (c) ensure that Local Community Development projects...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: This is a big new section and we did not have the benefit of debating it on Second Stage. Does that pose a question in respect of Report Stage? Much of it was anticipated but it is quite a large section and I would have liked more time to give it further consideration. The Dublin and mid-east authority has worked well in respect of the spatial strategy. One reasons is the diversity of...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: Buying in surveys on a contract basis is not producing the results I would like to see. It needs monitoring and consideration. It does not necessarily need a change in the legislation but it poses questions. Local authorities want to comply with legal requirements but sometimes, in doing so, they lose sight of, or do not have the ability to deal with, the spirit of what was intended. I...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: Okay. Where is the oversight? Is it at national spatial strategy level? I can see myself proposing a few amendments on Report Stage. It is positive that the National Transport Authority will be involved. That is critical. Are there other essential services which should be part of that framework? I see the need to link land use and transport planning but I wonder about some of the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I would like the Minister to respond to my question on planning authorities. Does a planning authority comprise the officials, the councillors or a combination of both? The reporting of the proceedings of regional assemblies to local authorities could be provided for by way of an amendment on Committee Stage. I know that in my local authority area there was a report once every quarter....

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I would like to respond to the Minister.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: Okay. This is a huge section.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: In the planning authorities, or local authorities, will it be the councillors or the officials-----

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Catherine Murphy: I would like to pick up on the point the Minister just made about the future of the Dublin authorities if the people decide they want a directly elected mayor. The current position, as reflected in this legislation, is that the Dublin and the mid-east are seen as a single region. Will there be a difficulty if a Dublin region is defined? How will the Dublin and mid-east region tie in with that?