Results 4,561-4,580 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Proposed Legislation (26 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 466 and 472 together. I refer to the reply to Question No. 132 of 5 February 2013. The final General Scheme of a Bill will, in due course, be subject to a full regulatory impact assessment.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (26 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: It is a matter for each local authority to manage its own day-to-day finances in a prudent and sustainable manner, including investment arrangements for the management of moneys received. Information on individual local authorities’ investment arrangements is not available in my Department. The latest audited information for the two Kilkenny local authorities is set out in the...

Topical Issue Debate: Rights of the Child (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: As the Deputy will be aware, the most effective way to get any individual out of poverty is to provide employment. The pattern of difficult decisions the Government has had to make arising from the legacy we inherited from his party has made it enormously difficult to ensure we have an expanding domestic economy because of the measures that have had to be take to deal with our public...

Topical Issue Debate: Rights of the Child (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I thank Deputy Troy for raising this issue and I am pleased to respond on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Fitzgerald. The Minister, who is the first such Minister at Cabinet level, is returning from Russia following discussions on the possibility of a bilateral agreement on inter-country adoption with the Russian Federation. I am disappointed with...

Topical Issue Debate: Rights of the Child (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Minister has asked me to convey a number of points to the House on this matter. I refer to her activities since assuming responsibility for the children detention system in January 2012. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has worked with her colleagues in Government on a range of actions to improve conditions for children in detention and in particular, to end the practice of...

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I know Deputy Healy is against property tax, but I am surprised that socialists are against such a tax. I have not come across any easy way of raising revenue to provide services.

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I have not come across any suggestions either from Deputy Healy or anyone else, except to increase income tax. If Deputies are against everything, including property tax and motor tax, I suppose that is life in politics, but they will not provide services for citizens which is what this measure seeks to do. I commend the Bill to the House.

Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Referral to Committee (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government pursuant to Standing Order 82A(3)(a) and (6)(a) and 126(1).

Topical Issue Debate: Regeneration Projects (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I know that Deputy Catherine Byrne has taken a great interest in this issue and has raised it on many previous occasions. I want to assure her that my Department also has a great interest in seeing this commenced and completed to the satisfaction of the residents. The national regeneration programme targets the country's most disadvantaged communities. My Department supports the ambitious...

Topical Issue Debate: Regeneration Projects (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am giving Deputy Byrne an undertaking to make representations on her behalf to the relevant officials in the Department's housing and planning unit, as well as to Dublin City Council, to express the community's concerns on the need to accelerate the regeneration project for St. Teresa's Gardens. I wish to reiterate the commitment by the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and myself...

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: In the budget for 2013, my colleague, the Minister of Finance, announced a rebate on diesel, which is a decrease, with effect from 1 July 2013 for the transport sector and extended it to the bus sector in the recent Finance Bill, and this is welcome. The Government is very committed to the local government fund. Despite the fact that the amount to be transferred from the fund to the...

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Deputy Murphy should not reorientate the debate now that she has lost.

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: The silent majority is on our side, with 72% having paid, and those people want to ensure they are legally compliant.

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I am sure Deputy Murphy's constituency includes people living in rural areas, and 82% of people registered for their septic tank and those who advocated non-payment of the septic tank charge last September have cost people €45.

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I did not hear Deputy Murphy mention this. People have paid €50 in recent weeks when they could have paid €5 last September, but people advocated that they should not do so.

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: The Technical Group did so.

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: Is Deputy Murphy a member of the Technical Group?

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: I see.

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: It is when it suits. Equalisation remains a core principle of the general purpose grant allocation process. The amount of funding for equalisation in 2012 reflected the need to ensure that in an environment where all local authority revenue sources are under pressure, local authorities have the resources to provide a reasonable level of services. I remain committed to the principle of...

Motor Vehicles (Duties and Licences) Bill 2013: Second Stage (21 Feb 2013)

Phil Hogan: For a pre-2008 Yaris or equivalent below 1,000 cc, the rate of increase in the budget is €14, but for a post-2008 Yaris or similar taxed on the basis of CO2 the increase for a rate of 111g/km to 120g/km is €40 and for a rate of 121g/km to 130g/km is €45. Deputy Murphy has confused me by mentioning €50.