Results 35,901-35,920 of 36,355 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Seanad: Local Government (Charges) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: How did the Minister determine the fine, which is not to exceed €2,000? Some people who will be subject to this legislation have multiple properties. We received representations today from people in the self-catering industry whose annual levy will amount to €150,000. Those with private rental properties may have a larger levy. The fine is not to exceed €2,000. Approximately 52...

Seanad: Local Government (Charges) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: My question is loosely related to the payment to town councils. In the Minister's Second Stage speech, he referred to the website facilitating the payment of a charge, which was designed by the Local Government Computer Services Board and which, if it is like the on-line system for the payment of motor tax, we all welcome. The Minister stated the revenue accruing will be relayed...

Seanad: Local Government (Charges) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Section 15(1) provides, "A county council shall, each year, make a payment to each town council within the county". Should it be prescribed in the legislation that this happen within a certain timeframe? The date of collection will be 31 March next year but a local authority does not have to hand the money over to a town council until December of that year. There might be late payments but...

Seanad: Local Government (Charges) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I agree with the Minister's latter comments. That is why I think we could or should have grabbed the Bill by the horns and allowed local authorities to set their own rates but I note the Minister's comments on this and know that he is disposed to examining the point. I welcome the fact that he has agreed to consider some of the other issues, three of which are covered in some shape or form...

Seanad: Local Government (Charges) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Yes.

Seanad: Local Government (Charges) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I have spoken to those in the finance departments of local authorities who say that cash flow is a massive problem. If a county council has €1 million which it must give to its town councils having collected it in March 2010 and holds on to that money until December that will benefit the local authority, not the town council. Holding onto the money for eight months makes a massive...

Seanad: Local Government (Charges) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Echoing the sentiments of Senator Coffey, it is disappointing we did not get the time to tease out the amendments. As other Senators and the Minister were providing explanations, it is difficult to think on one's feet, particularly when one is dealing with this type of legislation. As somebody stated, the net is out there and we are catching people that we should not catch with these...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I support Senator Coffey's amendment. The Senator said the amendment was rushed. I have placed amendments which are similarly rushed. The legislation clearly needs to be changed. I have personal experience of people whose houses will be subject to the levy in circumstances which the spirit of the Bill never intended. Senator Coffey's amendment refers to a house owned by the son or...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I believe we all have the same perspective on this Bill, although our interpretation of it might be different from the Minister's. Senator Coffey's amendment deals with parents and any house, not just a granny flat. Over 400,000 houses will be subject to this levy. A number of people will be in the situation of having a granny flat or where the son or daughter owns the house where the...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I return to a point I raised earlier. Unfortunately, I will not be present to discuss some of the other amendments because I have an essential appointment. I realise the Minister has given clarification regarding the situation of granny flats. I have read the legislation and I know the granny flats in my area, which are self-contained flats adjoining an existing house. They are not an...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Exactly. They incorporate small flats.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: People enter via a separate entrance and have their independence, but they are next door to their sons or daughters. This type of security is the beauty of the granny flat. From my reading of the legislation, granny flats are subject to the €200 fee. The Minister's interpretation of the matter we are discussing might relate to a number of additional rooms in a house to give a mother or...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I would support the Minister's idea.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I do not support Senator Coffey's amendments, although I know he addresses the same issues I raised in terms of the ability of the local authorities in their current configuration to collect this charge. On Second Stage, I made the point that local authorities may find it difficult to collect this charge bearing in mind it will be much easier to collect it for rental properties than for...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Perhaps the Minister will point it out to me in the Bill.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I am disappointed with the Minister's response. While I can understand why he cannot take a carte blanche approach to the employment of additional staff, I had hoped that in the future he might be disposed to particular requests if they arise. On the amendment, the Minister's point with regard to the incentive for the local authority to collect its own rates is very important, which is why I...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an mBille. Seo ceist atá tógtha agam sa Seanad go minic. Táim ag déanamh gur thóg mé an cheist trí uair ó deineadh na fógraí sa cháinaisnéis dheireanach anuraidh. Ach roimhe seo, bhí sé tógtha agam ag iarraidh ar an Aire Airgeadais Bille mar seo a chur chun tosaigh. Os as Tír Chonaill i nDún na nGall mé,...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (30 Jun 2009)

Pearse Doherty: D'ardaigh mé an cheist sa Teach cúpla uair cheana i dtaobh ceist na Gaeilge agus an ról a ba cheart don Seanad a bheith ag imirt ó thaobh na ceiste seo. Phléamar An Staidéar Teangeolaíoch ar úsáid na Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht, an cheist faoi thumoideachas sna scoileanna agus an cheist fá dtaobh de Foinse. Ach ó tháinig mise isteach sa Seanad ní raibh plé ar cheist na Gaeilge sa...

Seanad: Local Authority Housing (24 Jun 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Haughey. I wish to refer to the hundreds of customers of Donegal County Council who took out housing loans prior to 1991 and are paying fixed interest rates in excess of 10% on those loans. A total of 973 individuals and families have loans from the county council and 242 of them are being charged interest in excess of 10%. As already stated,...

Seanad: Local Authority Housing (24 Jun 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. Perhaps he might bring a number of points to the attention of the Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Finneran. All recipients of these loans in excess of 10% should be informed of mechanisms to re-finance in the private sector, if they have not already done so, and they should be assisted in doing that because many of these...