Results 3,621-3,640 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Minister for that. The committee feels this is a vital measure within the proposals.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: What about the dirty maritime fuels?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Forthcoming Environment Council: Discussion with Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government (4 Dec 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: The Minister's reference to infringements reminded me of our lengthy discussions on septic tanks. Has that issue been resolved and has it been costly to the State? As someone who lives near Dublin Port, I have always been interested in maritime transport. Dirty fuels, or bunker fuels as they are known in the trade, have been banned in certain ports. Have any discussions been entered into...

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)

Kevin Humphreys: People are getting mixed up between the different areas of local government. We are discussing the election of chairs, but there is a blocking group. In the Dublin local authorities, blocks form and there is a proportionality of seats. As far as I know, this happens in most local authorities. It has been claimed that this is anti-democratic or people are being left out, but the strongest...

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)

Kevin Humphreys: It depends on the seats.

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)

Kevin Humphreys: That is insulting.

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)

Kevin Humphreys: I would like to say something on the same issue. The Minister can address it all together. I think the election of a mayor for Dublin would be very welcome, if that is what the people decide in the plebiscite. I ask the Minister to have a look at the time period. If the people of Dublin vote next year in favour of a single mayor for the four local authorities, they will have to wait until...

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)

Kevin Humphreys: Would the Minister actively support that?

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)

Kevin Humphreys: During my ten years in the local authority it was my experience that positions were shared on the basis of proportionality in terms of the democratic mandate received. There has been a disconnect between regional authorities and the councils they represent. I have served in a regional council, but there was no mechanism either to hold me to account at the council or for me to report to the...

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)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Minister for acknowledging that there must be some kind of population rebalancing. I wish to develop the point made by Deputy Catherine Murphy on local area plans. The local area plan has been very useful, especially in urban areas. The control and balance are in the order plans are dealt with - the regional plan is taken first, followed by the local authority plan and then the...

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)

Kevin Humphreys: This is targeted at a robust engagement in council chambers. We all know some councils are becoming dysfunctional because of the actions of certain individuals. There is no mechanism given to the local authority. I have received representations across all parties and none for some mechanism that would allow a council to do its business, and I have become very frustrated. I welcome the...

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)

Kevin Humphreys: I wish to correct Deputy Barry Cowen. Historically urban citizens have been grossly under-represented. I accept we all speak about distances. I accept that town councils have served the country well. However, the democratic imbalance between urban and rural has been enormous since the foundation of the State and this provision in some way rebalances the position but does not go the full...

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

Kevin Humphreys: Would it be possible to break for lunch at 2 p.m. today?

Local Government (Town Centres) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Nov 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: I did not expect to be called so quickly.

Local Government (Town Centres) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Nov 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for clearing up the matter. While listening to Deputy Barry Cowen's contribution I was thinking back on the lack of proper spatial planning in past decades and its effects on rural Ireland and towns and cities. It is a fact that towns and villages are closing down for various reasons, as Deputy Barry Cowen explained. However, it is not only happening outside...

Local Government (Town Centres) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Nov 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: Deputy Barry Cowen referred to the pressures on rates for commercial activities in cities and towns. Certainly, when I was involved in Dublin City Council, we were able to reduce the rates bill year on year, but it was only a tokenistic reduction because we did not have a sufficient income base to do more. A councillor cannot really ask for commercial rates to be reduced without showing an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Changes to Pay and File Tax Date: Discussion with Irish Tax Institute (20 Nov 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: Is it not the responsibility of the individual and tax adviser to tidy up matters given that this is a tax estimate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Changes to Pay and File Tax Date: Discussion with Irish Tax Institute (20 Nov 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: Is that not part of the role of the tax adviser? Having assisted a client in making an estimate, he or she then does the tidying up when one makes a forward assessment. I am trying to understand the role of the tax adviser.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Changes to Pay and File Tax Date: Discussion with Irish Tax Institute (20 Nov 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: The example of Michael Maguire is based on the current system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Proposed Changes to Pay and File Tax Date: Discussion with Irish Tax Institute (20 Nov 2013)

Kevin Humphreys: Ms Clarke made a point about making it easier to make returns. I was taken aback by her comment that there were 347 boxes on the form in 2003 and 635 in 2012.