Results 5,101-5,120 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan
- Topical Issue Debate: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: I thank Deputy Ellis. I am not as familiar as he is with the land around Dunsink, but I know it slightly. The Government recognises the housing affordability pressures faced by many households, particularly in certain parts of the country. It is for this reason that the overarching objective of Rebuilding Ireland is to increase the supply of new homes to 25,000 per annum by 2020. In...
- Topical Issue Debate: Social and Affordable Housing (17 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: I will contact Fingal County Council. I was there a couple of weeks ago in Swords with the manager and senior officials. I will certainly contact them. I was not aware of the full extent of the landholding until this was brought up. There is also, in terms of the planning laws, the necessity for a local area plan to be adopted before the houses can be constructed but that could happen...
- Topical Issue Debate: Credit Union Regulation (17 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: I am responding to this issue on behalf of the Minister for Finance who wishes to thank Deputy Moynihan for raising it. This is primarily a matter for the Central Bank but the Minister is fully aware of the strength of feeling locally about the situation in Charleville credit union and the restoration of credit union services. In relation to credit unions, the role of the Minister for...
- Topical Issue Debate: Credit Union Regulation (17 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: I was writing the questions down as Deputy Moynihan asked them. I will endeavour to get answers to those questions, which are reasonable enough. However, I would point out that, in the first instance, it is the responsibility of the board of the credit union to operate its activities and to operate within the law. The Central Bank took a decision on this question after several years of...
- Local Authority Boundaries Review: Motion [Private Members] (17 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: I move amendment No. 3:To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:"recognises the need to put in place effective and sustainable local government arrangements in Cork and notes the action being pursued to achieve this, and further recognises the need for a National Planning Framework to set an overall long-term strategic planning framework...
- Local Authority Boundaries Review: Motion [Private Members] (17 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: The proposals contained in the Mackinnon report are now part of a process put in place by the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. An implementation group is in place and it involves representatives of Cork city and county councils. I am interested in the motion in that this is the first time I have heard public comments from any group to the effect that the local government arrangement in Cork...
- Local Authority Boundaries Review: Motion [Private Members] (17 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: It was a sliotar.
- Local Authority Boundaries Review: Motion [Private Members] (17 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: Cork.
- Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Boundaries (17 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: Cork County Council has initiated a proposal for alteration of the boundary under Part V of the Local Government Act 1991. As this proposal is the subject of a statutory process which may lead to an application for Ministerial decision, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the matter.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: I reassure the Deputy that I am listening. I was not in this position previously to not listen, but it is hard to listen to some of the jargon of 1970s Trotskyism which overhangs some of the commentary we heard from the two previous speakers. That is not to say, however, that some legitimate concerns have not been raised.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: Interestingly, in her concluding remarks the Deputy said she was in favour of water charges for those who used water excessively. She mentioned the introduction of a swimming pool tax and that there should be a charge. That is the first time I have heard anybody in the Socialist Party say in this Chamber that there should be a charge for those who use water excessively.
- Water Services Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: That makes an interesting change. I thank the staff of Irish Water and the local authorities who are working, have been working in the past few days and will be working for the next few days to restore water services, including wastewater treatment, to houses and businesses across the country that have been affected by Storm Ophelia. It is only when major events like this happen that...
- Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Government Reform (24 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: The Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to review the supports provided to councillors, in consultation with representative bodies, to enable them to continue their important work. In January this year, taking account of the considerable additional workload councillors have experienced since the 2014 local government reforms were introduced, the former...
- National Planning Framework: Statements (26 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: It has not.
- National Planning Framework: Statements (26 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: It is not.
- National Planning Framework: Statements (26 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: Fake news.
- National Planning Framework: Statements (26 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: I thank Deputy Bailey for sharing time. I was keen to make some points and I was afraid that I would not get in if I did not ask her for some time. The debate thus far clearly exemplifies the divergence of opinion that exists on planning matters in Irish politics in general. In this Chamber, diametrically opposed opinions have been expressed, even in the hour and a half in which we have...
- National Planning Framework: Statements (26 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: It was a region. The problem-----
- National Planning Framework: Statements (26 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: -----is that it was a region for 30 years and it just did not work.
- National Planning Framework: Statements (26 Oct 2017)
John Paul Phelan: There is a way of building it into this plan.