Results 5,781-5,800 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Business of Select Committee (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for taking the time to raise it with me formally in committee. I know he has been working with the residents to try to find an early solution for them. This is a very frustrating situation to be in where we have what appears to be a perfectly good building with tenants in it but which potentially may be an illegal building and, as a result of that potential, tenants who...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I need a couple of soldiers. I am not talking about the weather.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: One of the pieces of work we have had to do since the beginning of the year is to settle three new entities in the Department and work on the merger project. The commercial rates Bill is a priority in this term. In my wisdom, I have delegated responsibility for the legislation and the work on the Valuation Office to the Minister of State, Deputy John Paul Phelan. I want to ensure there is...

Order of Business (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: My understanding is that the committee made a decision on this matter only this morning. I have not been informed of the details of that decision myself but the committee agreed it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: It is money which was paid to Irish Water last year, which is now being paid centrally from my Department.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: It was money paid into the local government fund, not the local authorities, which was then transferred to Irish Water.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: No.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and I established a committee to review the local property tax. As this is a tax, it is a matter for the Minister for Finance but because it is a local property tax the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has a significant say in how it might be redesigned, if it is to be redesigned. This piece of work has commenced. In parallel to that, my...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The Department has commenced work on review of the baseline calculation with a view to ensuring that it is fair for all counties. I agree that the manner in which the baseline is calculated for certain local authorities does appear to put them at a disadvantage and we are keen to review and change it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The baseline review is being done in parallel with the local property tax review which the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and I are doing. We will probably conclude our work before the departmental review is concluded but both will be announced at the same time, which will be later this year.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: It is not being delayed. Quite a complex piece of work has to be done. However, it is not up to me, it is up to the CRU. I have been emphasising that I do not want it rushed because potentially there might be an impact on small businesses in terms of their costs of doing business. I want people to be fully aware of what might be coming down the line and what might be an additional cost...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I was told the last time I was here that a statement from me would be unhelpful or would not add anything to the meeting, so I skipped my statement that time. This time I wanted to get through it quickly-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: -----if only because I find it quite boring to read. In recent years the local government fund, LGF, was funded principally by motor taxation and local property tax, which is collected by the Revenue Commissioners. A payment has also been made to the fund from the Department's Vote. However, the main payments from the fund have been to local authorities, Irish Water, the Department of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I might have met the same group water scheme. Three options were being explored.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: In relation to the drinking water directive, I am meeting Irish Water soon to go through it. We are looking at a new strategic funding plan for Irish Water beyond 2021. That will need to be done. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, will have a role in that as well in respect of the role it plays in regulating the costs Irish Water might incur. We will address each of those...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The An Bord Pleanála fast track process has had a number of positive decisions so far. We have had some negative decisions as well. It is almost a year since I signed the order so we wish to carry out a soft review of how it has worked to date and to see if changes might be necessary. One would have expected that some of the reasons for the decisions that have emerged to date would...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Chair, and the Deputy for his questions. We face a number of challenges in the provision of water services at the moment. We have planned a number of different capital projects to that end. The main constraints we face relate to the construction sector and the supply chain. This is something we normally face when it comes to the provision of water infrastructure. We face it...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: The case closed on 5 February of this year and the decision of the court is awaited. The Commission has also informally indicated there may be some further updates coming in respect of other urban agglomerations that have since been identified as non-compliant as well. We are in the middle of a back and forth with the Commission on this. Given what we are planning to do, we are hoping it...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: I think a lot of people are appreciative of the fact that they are able to get private rental accommodation which they can source themselves, in a location that they want to be in and still be supported by the State, which was not the case under previous schemes. That is one of the benefits of HAP and the reason it is proving to be successful. I do not think we have a different view on HAP....

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised) (27 Mar 2018)

Eoghan Murphy: Again, as soon as the Deputy lets me out of committee I will endeavour to publish them as quickly as possible. That said, the last time I said that to him, I left the committee, looked at the numbers and published them, and I was criticised subsequently for my strategy in releasing them. Is Deputy Ó Broin going to do that again if I go back to my office now, pull up my figures and...