Results 5,361-5,380 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Register (29 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: As the preparation of the Register of Electors is a matter in law for each local registration authority my Department does not compile information of the kind referred to. It is the duty of each local registration authority to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. The focus of my Department's work in relation to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (29 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I apologise for my late attendance. I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this matter which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. I am pleased to say that I have good news in regard to this scheme in Mullaghmatt. The Department approved the fourth and final part of the scheme to go to tender in March. Tenders have now been received by Monaghan County Council and are...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Reform (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Electoral law provides for a prohibition on the display or distribution of any notice, sign or poster, (other than a notice, sign or poster displayed by the returning officer) or card, circular or other document relating to a referendum, within 50 metres of a polling station.  Contravention of this provision is an offence.  I do not have a role in the enforcement of this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee Report (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I established two independent Local Electoral Area Boundary Committees on 13 December 2017 to review and make recommendations on local electoral areas having regard to, among other things, the results of Census 2016 as well as the commitment to consider reducing the size of territorially large local electoral areas as set out in A Programme for Partnership Government (May 2016). ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Commission Establishment (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The 2016 report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht on the establishment of an electoral commission is informing the implementation of the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government on establishing an electoral commission and the preparation of an Electoral Commission Bill to give effect to that.  Work is ongoing in my Department...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I thank the Chair and the committee for the opportunity to discuss two reports that have been produced to build on the reforms to local government that have taken place in recent years. I am joined today by officials from the Department; Mr. Paul Lemass, Mr. Diarmuid O'Leary, Ms Lorraine O'Donoghue and Ms Áinle Ní Bhriain. The Programme for Partnership Government sets out a number...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I suppose I have sympathy for the points the Deputy is trying to make. I understand what he is saying about Drogheda, in particular. It was the first place I visited as Minister of State.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Deputy O'Dowd brought me to Drogheda after I was appointed as Minister of State with responsibility for local government. The Deputy has spoken about the projected increase in the population of Drogheda over the coming years. This is a good example of how the municipal district structure functions better in some local authority areas than in others. In many local authorities, there are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: We will discuss how extra resources could be given to such towns. The Deputy is really talking about a management structure.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: There is not going to be any change in the idea of municipal districtsper se.I do not see why the idea of supporting the municipal districts with functioning management structures at local level cannot be dealt with under the planning framework. I will speak to my colleagues about that. We have included a new provision that will allow a joint structure to be put in place in respect of any...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: It will be May.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: And an engineer and a planner.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I know the name but I am not in a position to say it yet.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I thank Senator Boyhan. The Senator said at the start that my reports were lengthy but he managed to touch on every aspect of local government in his questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: On the specifics, 30 June still stands for the review of the local electoral area boundaries. On the local government elections, a decision was made at European Council level that the weekend of 23 to 26 May next year is when the European Union Parliament elections will be held across the EU. Ireland will have an opportunity within that window to have our local and European Parliament...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I am telling the Senator now. We consult regularly with those organisations and they speak on behalf of their memberships when they speak to us in formal discussions. They make the point, which was made by the Senator, that the municipal structure is working but needs to be bedded down and given more strength, powers and responsibilities. They do not want to unravel the changes that were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I cannot give the Senator an answer. The group has not been established yet. I cannot give the Senator a definite-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I will not be recommending anything to it. I will be giving it terms of reference an it will be very much up to it to make its own decisions. I am not that sort of person - if one gives independent people a job. The prospective members of this group would not take kindly to being directed by me or by any Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I want it to provide an interim report well in advance of the elections so that people who are going to stand or are considering not standing will know where they stand, so to speak, in making that decision. An interim report by Hallowe'en is still a big part of that. In terms of the legislative process, within the next two weeks, the outline of a local government Bill will go to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Yes. That has not changed. I do not want to pre-empt any discussion that might take place at Government level. I indicated in my opening remarks that the report on leadership at local authority level is due to be discussed by the Cabinet within the month. The devolution of powers is an old chestnut. It is not only devolution of powers but it is the balance that lies between the...