Results 41-60 of 6,960 for speaker:John Paul Phelan

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (9 Apr 2024)

John Paul Phelan: 260. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on plans to deploy the use of battery technology to support the installation of EV charging infrastructure along the comprehensive road network in response to delays in grid connections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15316/24]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (9 Apr 2024)

John Paul Phelan: 261. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport for an update on plans to unblock potential barriers and streamline the process for the private sector companies to access grid connections for the installation of EV charging infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15317/24]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Transport Policy (9 Apr 2024)

John Paul Phelan: 315. To ask the Minister for Finance if his Department will simplify the VAT code on car sharing, noting the current dual-rate system is unnecessarily complex and discourages car rental; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15320/24]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU Directives (9 Apr 2024)

John Paul Phelan: 316. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will consider reducing the rate of VAT to hire e-bikes to encourage people making the transition to sustainable alternatives, noting the relevant EU Directive permits a reduced rate in the range of 9% to 13.5%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15321/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Tobacco Control Measures (9 Apr 2024)

John Paul Phelan: 1594. To ask the Minister for Health if it is his intention to propose a ban on smoking and vaping in outdoor areas attached to pubs and restaurants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15319/24]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Commission (21 Mar 2024)

John Paul Phelan: 228. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to state whether the statutory functions of the Electoral Commission include the power to review the contents of pole posters or statements made by elected representatives and to communicate with the public in relation to their conclusions of any such review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13467/24]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tobacco Control Measures (20 Mar 2024)

John Paul Phelan: 219. To ask the Minister for Finance if he has any plans to commission an independent assessment of the extent to which tobacco excise increases in recent years are leading to increased illicit market activity, evidenced by the recent detection of a large-scale illegal cigarette factory in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11619/24]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tobacco Control Measures (20 Mar 2024)

John Paul Phelan: 225. To ask the Minister for Finance the measures being taken, and additional resources being provided to the Revenue Commissioners to detect and crack-down on the production and sale of illegal tobacco products in Ireland, following the recent detection and closure of a large-scale illegal cigarette factory in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11770/24]

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: I will be as brief as I can, but when you listen to your colleagues, you get further ideas as to what you want to discuss. I too was a member of a local authority in Kilkenny for three years before the introduction of the dual-mandate ban and while I share some of the reservations of the previous speaker in respect of the dual-mandate ban, I think it was right to separate local authorities...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: I will try to go through the issues in order. Several members raised the issue of funding. Funding is the core issue. If we throw our hands up and say we will not have any other sources of funding, the discussion we are having today is pretty moot. Deputy Howlin outlined some of them. I have a different view from him. Local councillors setting a sales tax in County Wexford that might...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: It might be, and it if is, they will flow the other way. I say that as someone whose local town is New Ross where I do most of my sales. We have to have new sources. Bed nights and sales tax are the obvious ones that could be introduced. I know they have been looked at before and I do not really see why, if we are serious about reforming local government, it should not happen. ...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: Most counties seem now to have mayors of counties as well as mayors of cities. In Limerick, the mayor of the county is the mayor of the city. It is daft. What is wrong with the word "cathaoirleach"? I know people will say it does not mean anything internationally. "Taoiseach" does not mean a hell of a lot internationally either yet there are lads regularly looking for the job. I make...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: It is part of the Gorey area but it is not a municipal district, so describing the shape of it is a bit irrelevant.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: It was always so. We always had situations where people who lived on the edge of towns were not included. Sometimes town boundaries were extended to include people, in rural areas in some cases, into town council voting in the last number of town councils that would have been elected. That was not always the case either and it certainly was not uniform. As to regional assemblies, I was...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: -----for nothing other than political benefit. This can inflict terror. I have seen cases of that happening. More solidarity among councillors is needed, but I would have no difficulty with some of the measures introduced for Oireachtas Members being extended to councillors in terms of safety. Senator Casey said that local government is the most rewarding position. I say amen to that....

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: They used to have 50-year plans as well.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: They did not. That is right. I said that tongue in cheek. I will be controversial here. I decided I would when I came in. We are having a discussion about how councillors feel they are emasculated, are losing powers and do not have influence. At the same time, we are saying they should become fully paid positions. Is there not a central contradiction in that? They are losing powers...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: It would be ridiculous. There are many areas on the edges of towns where footpaths and street lights are needed. Is it the classic situation that some officious individual in Galway County Council is saying it is the big bad lads of the Custom House who brought this rule in when it is a decision that is being manipulated at local level?

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: It was a great victory.

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: The Future of Local Democracy: Discussion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

John Paul Phelan: Senator Murphy made a number of valid points, not on town councils but on the size of municipal districts. This arose previously and I recall discussing it with Deputy Ó Cuív. Forty is the upper limit for a council, but 18 for a county the size of Roscommon, regardless of its population, is not enough. The same is true of a county the geographical size of Leitrim, where it takes...