Results 6,461-6,480 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan

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

John Paul Phelan: I wish to inform the House that the Department of Rural and Community Development, which is the Department of the Minister, Deputy Ring, announced today that applications for the year ahead may be made under the town and village renewal scheme, which applies to many of the towns and villages referred to by the Deputy.

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

John Paul Phelan: Did I say that?

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

John Paul Phelan: I apologise to the Deputy.

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

John Paul Phelan: I must ask the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to respond directly to the Deputy. I have no responsibility on housing. I understand the point being made, and the Deputy mentioned a local authority in another jurisdiction. As I understand it, county and city development plans are another mechanism by which local authorities can set out the criteria under which planning applications should...

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

John Paul Phelan: I was at a meeting on this issue at the early stages of the crisis. Extensive consideration was given to the issue of centres in local authorities and if there was sufficient capacity. The population of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is around 250,000. Some local authorities, like my own, have a population of 100,000 while others have 60,000. There is not a uniform, one-size-fits-all...

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

John Paul Phelan: I am at the point of repeating myself. I cannot directly answer the questions because I have no direct responsibility for housing. When I was speaking earlier, I was paraphrasing what the Minister said last week regarding the consideration of extending the moratorium on evictions and rents. The points the Deputy makes are valid. I will collate all the questions relating to housing and the...

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

John Paul Phelan: I will again preface my comments by saying that I will ask the Minister with responsibility for housing to respond directly. I repeat that there are vast differences between the delivery of different services depending on local authority areas. Louth County Council is a great example of an authority that is at the cutting edge in the issue of dereliction and bringing buildings that are...

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

John Paul Phelan: In advance of seeing the full details, I cannot give that guarantee. However, I fully understand the point the Deputy is making. The person in question is obviously afraid that he will lose the house that he has identified under the scheme. At different points during the measures the Government has announced and different agencies have implemented across the State, there have been...

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

John Paul Phelan: Following on from the court judgment, the drafting of new criteria for eligibility for house construction in rural areas is not yet completed but I understand it is close to completion. In relation to how we go forward with rural development, the point the Deputy makes is correct. There are plenty of people in Ireland who would not like to see any more houses built in rural areas for...

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

John Paul Phelan: Rural areas need new people too and there needs to be a balance brought into that debate.

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

John Paul Phelan: Deputy Danny Healy-Rae raised this as well and I agree fully. It has to be far too much ideology in terms of rural planning in general. It is a multifaceted answer but there are two obvious issues. First, there are the serviced sites on the edges of our towns and villages. There is also the dispersed rural housing, the once-off rural house. I am acutely familiar with some of the issues...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: The question of liability of particular properties for rates is a matter for the Commissioner of Valuation, who is independent in the exercise of his functions under the Valuation Act 2001, as amended. The making of valuations for rating purposes is the sole responsibility of the Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no function in decisions in this regard. The Valuation Acts 2001 to 2019...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1030 and 1069 together. The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes. In order to support the local government sector, my Department is continuing to keep local authority income, expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (3 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1157 and 1180 together. The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes. In order to support the local government sector, my Department is continuing to keep local authority income, expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (3 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: Council meetings are an integral and critical part of local democracy through which elected councils carry out statutory reserved functions and provide policy direction and oversight to local authorities. Arrangements for Council meetings are a matter for elected members who must, in accordance with the relevant provisions set out under Part 6 and Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 2001,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Contracts (9 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I have no direct role in the procurement practices of individual local authorities. In accordance with section 149 of the Local Government Act 2001, the Chief Executive of a local authority is responsible for the executive functions of the authority, which includes procurement. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP), an office within the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (9 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 704, 705 and 712 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 authorities. As...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (16 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1045 and 1047 together. The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes, in accordance with the provisions of the Valuation Acts. In certain circumstance, vacant properties may receive a partial waiver...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes.  Similarly, the control, regulation, supervision and administration of casual trading are  reserved functions for the elected members of each local authority.  I have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (16 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes.  The amount of rates paid by a property is based on its rateable valuation, as determined by the Valuation Office, multiplied the Annual Rate on Valuation set annually by the elected...