Results 341-360 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames

Seanad: European Council Decisions: Motions (1 Oct 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: How is that humane?

Seanad: European Council Decisions: Motions (1 Oct 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That is unfair.

Seanad: European Council Decisions: Motions (1 Oct 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: On a point of order, I did not get responses to my questions either. I wanted a simple clarification. Are we talking about 4,000 individuals or 4,000 families?

Seanad: European Council Decisions: Motions (1 Oct 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Seriously, we have called for this debate.

Seanad: European Council Decisions: Motions (1 Oct 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I understand that but if other Members raise points of order that are not points of order, I surely have that right too.

Seanad: European Council Decisions: Motions (1 Oct 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I would be happy to but the Minister of State did not answer the questions.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I welcome the Minister of State. Is he is the man for this matter also?

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Very good. The Minister of State is very welcome. My Commencement matter was addressed to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly. I wish to ask him to devise a property tax credit scheme for homeowners who pay management charges. Is it in order for the Minister of State to take this?

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That is fine. I do not mind which Minister-----

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That is fine. I do not mind which Minister takes it, as long as it is in response to the issue.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The Seanad Office may have changed it.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That is fine. Obviously, it is a budgetary issue, but property tax is within the remit of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. However, the request for a property tax credit scheme may rightly fall within the remit of the Minister for Finance. I will proceed. I have written to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to ask him to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: The local property tax was supposed to address some of the services, such as road maintenance, lighting and grass cutting. None of that is done, and they are paying on the double. That is how they feel. To their great dismay, none of the basic services promised under the property tax legislation has been delivered on. They feel that they are paying on the double for a service they are not...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: That is fine. It is the reply that I want.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Given my letter to the Department, I am disappointed with the Minister of State's reply. My point remains that those paying management charges and local property tax face a double-whammy given the expectation that some duplication of services would be involved. People who pay management charges are paying on the double because it was intended that revenue from the local property tax would...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: While I take the Minister of State's point, I am speaking about hard-pressed people living in housing estates who believe they have no choice but to pay management charges. That is the basis on which I am making my argument. The Minister of State indicated that it was never intended that local authorities would take in charge many estates.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: What about estates in which residents have received letters from a local authority stating that it does not have sufficient funding to take an estate in charge, as occurred in the case of Galway County Council? In such circumstances, is it not the case that the local property tax has failed to serve its purpose?

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I speak only of the portion of the local property tax about which promises were made, namely, the cross-over element. I am not referring to the abolition of the tax. I ask the Minister of State to respond.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am speaking about people who live in housing estates. I ask the Minister of State to stick to the point.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Property Tax Administration (30 Sep 2015)

Fidelma Healy Eames: It is not the point I raised.