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Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (20 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1364, 1391 and 1397 together. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, my Department has taken a number of measures to assist local authorities with the financial difficulties they are experiencing. At the outset and to minimise cash flow challenges, my Department arranged for the early payment of Local Property Tax (LPT) to all local...

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

John Paul Phelan: I thank the members of the Business Committee for agreeing to have this discussion today. As I have not had a chance to speak yet in this Dáil, I want to place on the record of the House my own sympathies for those who have been bereaved in the current crisis, as well as my appreciation for those on the front line both in the health service and right across society, not least in the...

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

John Paul Phelan: I will have to forward the Deputy's questions on housing to the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. We had housing questions in the House recently but today's session is not specifically about housing. However, I will get the Minister to directly answer the questions Deputy O'Brien has raised. The restart grant is being funded through the local authorities and local enterprise offices and...

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

John Paul Phelan: I will try to answer as many of the questions as I can. On the non-rates shortfall, one of the issues that is unique to the refund of the rates loss for every local authority is that there is no local authority in the country that collects rates at a level of 100%. The refund will be 100%. That is with the intention of offsetting some of the other costs. These will vary from local...

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

John Paul Phelan: One hundred percent is greater than 92%.

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

John Paul Phelan: What we are guaranteeing is what the CCMA, the representative group of the managers of each of the 31 local authorities, sought from us. As I said in response to Deputy Darragh O'Brien, the monthly shortfall in terms of commercial rates is about €85 million or €86 million. We should also bear in mind some of the other fees that councils are not gathering now because of...

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

John Paul Phelan: I will bring this specific issue to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, again. Many Members of the House are keen to reactivate the planning process with regard to exiting Covid-19 measures. The points the Deputy made are valid and I will certainly bring them to the Minister's attention. With regard to co-living, any private operator or State agency may want to apply...

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

John Paul Phelan: He can but individual applications that are before the planning authorities at present-----

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

John Paul Phelan: -----will still be judged by each of the planning authorities and by An Bord Pleanála. An Bord Pleanála was mentioned earlier. It is the ultimate planning authority in the land. It will deal with any current applications or applications made in the near future with regard to co-living.

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

John Paul Phelan: I agree with virtually everything the Deputy said. The collection of these moneys is a matter for each local authority and it has not been brought to my attention that councils need any extra powers in this regard. At the time the vacant site levy was introduced, and in respect of the amending legislation which was brought in afterwards in relation to farm lands, the powers were put in...

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

John Paul Phelan: I am afraid the Deputy will have to wait a little longer. I am recording the questions and I will relay the ones that fall into the housing category to the Minister. Local government does not have a direct responsibility for the mica and pyrite issue. However, the Deputy is right. My wife is from north Leitrim so I know south Donegal. I have seen at first hand, as well as some of the...

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

John Paul Phelan: Yes.

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

John Paul Phelan: I confirm to the House that, hopefully, following the Cabinet decision this Friday, it is the intention to reimburse local authorities, large and small, as soon as possible thereafter, certainly early in the month of June. There would have been extensive consultation between the Departments, both at official and political level, with local authorities across the country in regard to their...

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

John Paul Phelan: The Deputy is right in his assessment that remote working and working from home are very much here to stay. One of the key proposals by the outgoing Government in that regard was the national broadband plan. In the current crisis, we have seen bottlenecks in people's connectivity in many rural areas in particular, but also in some urban areas. The importance of the delivery of that plan...

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

John Paul Phelan: Several people asked that question and I did not get to answer it. The Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has committed to the extension of the rent freeze and the eviction ban as part of a general check on where we are regarding the crisis. Once that time period elapses at the end of June, he has not given a commitment, but he has said it will be firmly looked at depending on where we are in...

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

John Paul Phelan: That is an area where local authorities could usefully change. I want to get the point across about council meetings.

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

John Paul Phelan: Councils set their own standing orders. Many councils were very quick to write to the Department or to me about how they were to hold meetings. It is a matter for themselves. Most have now amended their standing orders to allow for meetings in lecture theatres and so on. All 31 councils now have facilities for their AGMs which fall next month. There is a place for virtual meetings in...

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

John Paul Phelan: To answer as briefly as possible, the figures that were calculated following a line-by-line analysis by the CCMA and presented to the local government section in the Department led us to arrive at the figure of €260 million.

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

John Paul Phelan: Yes, it is a guesstimate.

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

John Paul Phelan: It is difficult for me to say in advance, as I will not be the one sitting at the Cabinet table, but that is absolutely my intention. The 100% of what was sought by the CCMA is included in the €260 million figure. It is very much my intention that if the guesstimate underestimates the amount of money that we expect businesses that have stayed open to contribute in commercial rates...