Results 6,201-6,220 of 8,081 for speaker:Peter Burke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: I hear what the Deputy is saying. In the first instance, we have engaged with all of the political parties on this Bill. I feel they are going to work with women. Women are first here with regard to who they want to take up the position as temporary substitute. I do not see political parties standing in the way of who they would nominate. I hope I am not being naive in that but I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: That is what I am getting from the engagement I have had with the national parties. The Deputy mentioned the gratuity. It has been a very talked about issue among councillors. I always want to be very straight and clear with local authority members about what I can and cannot do. I was very honest with them because the Moorhead report recommended setting up a committee to look at pension...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: That is why we have increased the pay to ensure we get that better participation and the flexibility. I was at the AGM for Westmeath County Council. One lady had logged on remotely and another gentleman was recuperating in hospital. There can be pros and cons when meetings are so accessible but there is that flexibility built into the system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: We are happy to attend any time to seek the committee's advice on the changes we are bringing through. We look forward to the report on pre-legislative scrutiny of this current Bill but as we go through other significant changes for reforming the way local authority members go about their business, we will be happy to keep the committee informed and seek its views at every juncture along the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: I thank Senator Maria Byrne. It is 26 and 16 weeks for maternity leave and it is 18 months for illness if somebody is very sick and needs that support. We are happy to work with the Senator on any suggestions she has. For the individual who is going on maternity leave, it should be their choice. That is how we are framing this policy piece around this legislative change. It would be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: I thank Senator Boyhan for his kind words. He is dead right that there is a huge issue with retention throughout the country. I have seen some very good local authority members who, unfortunately, have left the field. We are at a loss without their service, which was very important, and I saw that my own local authority area. In terms of mental health, the Local Authority Members...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: I am happy to take that on board. I have often spoken about retention during my tenure at the Custom House. The council chamber needs to reflect the society that it serves in gender, diversity, age and all other strands. It needs to reflect all sectors of society, whether business owners, teachers or community workers and all other avenues of life that make up society. Our aim in life as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: Absolutely. We are trying to go down that avenue with the reforms in local authorities. I remember when we had our first baby. I was in a local authority. Working full time and trying to hold down council duties too was very challenging. The office that I worked for was close to the council chamber. I had an employer who was willing to give me a little slack to go to the council...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: I appreciate that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: That is a fair point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Local Government (Maternity Protection and Other Measures for Local Authority Elected Members) Bill 2022: Discussion (22 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: I thank the Chairman.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wind Energy Generation (27 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: My Department’s Foreshore Unit operates the consenting regime under the Foreshore Act 1933, managing the regulation of a range of different marine activities and infrastructural developments. The volume of applications made under the Act in recent years has grown significantly. In parallel, my Department is leading an extensive marine management reform programme, the likes of which the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Vacant Properties (27 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: In January 2022, my Department communicated with local authorities that it is increasing the funding made available since 2018, to support the work of a Vacant Homes Office including a vacant homes officer in each local authority, from €50,000 to €60,000 per annum. This supports the commitment in Housing for All to ensure that the vacant homes officer role is full-time. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Gaeltacht Policy (27 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: The Interdepartmental Group (comprising of officials from my Department, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Údarás na Gaeltachta) is in place to support and accelerate the ongoing work in relation to planning in Gaeltacht areas. One of the key aims of this interdepartmental group is to ensure that procedures and systems will be tailored, as...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (27 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: The Department does not maintain information on un-commenced Part 8 planning permissions from the local authorities. We do, however, publish a range of information on the advancement of social housing programmes broken down by local authority. This includes programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery by the local authorities, with data up to the end of Quarter 1...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (27 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: 301. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to address the pay-scales and current pay rates of the community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46864/22]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (27 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: 332. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) qualifies for the benefit payment for 65-year-olds. [47182/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (27 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: 572. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on further information for agency roles working in the HSE; and their eligibility for the pandemic bonus payment. [47332/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authorities (28 Sep 2022)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Hourigan for the question. My Department is cognisant of the current financial environment in which local authorities, including Dublin City Council, are operating, and the pressures facing them in respect of general inflation and higher energy costs in particular. These challenges are common across the sector - indeed, across the State - and I will set out how support from...