Results 12,221-12,240 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The purpose of all of this reform in rates is, as far as I am concerned, to harmonise rates downwards rather than upwards.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: No, I cannot, because I am devolving to councillors functions that have been in place since 1898 in order to allow them to strike the rate. Does the Deputy want me to take away that power from the councillors?

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: That is not unusual. I refer the Deputy to when his party was in government and when estimates were struck in Dublin and elsewhere.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The appropriate Minister.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, is the relevant Minister.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Call it responsibility.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: It is devolved function.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am in agreement with what the Deputy suggests with regard to an occupier of a premise not being lumbered with an arrears bill from somebody else before he or she takes up the tenancy. We are looking at that with a view to an amendment later in the process. With regard to the harmonisation of rates and the valuation system, I am not in a position to deal with it in this legislation because...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: When the process is stopped we would hear from the winners.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I indicated that we are trying to strengthen local government functions, especially in economic and community development. In particular, I referenced the provisions for alignment of local and community development with local authorities. Most people are beginning to accept that we must have people at local level, either on a voluntary, community or statutory basis, working together. There...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: That is right.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Yes.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: I move amendment No. 57: In page 44, lines 6 and 7, to delete "regional planning guidelines (being guidelines" and substitute "regional spatial and economic strategy (being a strategy".The amendments in this grouping provide for regional spatial and economic strategies in place of the regional planning guidelines, the formulation of which will be the main function of the new regional...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Shared services.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Between them.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: No. It has to be consistent with them.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Yes.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: Yes. I mention something which came up a bit on Second Stage - I think Deputy Humphreys and others mentioned it. The two local authority members per constituent authority will be on the regional assemblies. It does not reflect the population so we will look at that in the orders. The point would have been made that a large local authority would have the same representation as a small one,...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Bill 2013: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2013)

Phil Hogan: We will take account of population but we will not go mad in terms of numbers. We will reflect the fact that population concerns raised on Second Stage might be reflected in the membership of the local authorities. Even though there are a lot of amendments and I suppose what we are doing is updating the language and the changes to reflect the fact there are regional economic spatial...