Results 601-620 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Oct 2020)

John Paul Phelan: 432. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to introduce legislation to change the age eligibility criteria for the State pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31723/20]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pensions (20 Oct 2020)

John Paul Phelan: 433. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is considering proposals to reintroduce the transition payment for those eligible for the State pension from the period they turn 65 years of age until they start to draw down the State pension, rather than the current position in which such persons must go on jobseeker’s allowance for the transition period;...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (16 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1045 and 1047 together. The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes, in accordance with the provisions of the Valuation Acts. In certain circumstance, vacant properties may receive a partial waiver...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (16 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes.  Similarly, the control, regulation, supervision and administration of casual trading are  reserved functions for the elected members of each local authority.  I have...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (16 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes.  The amount of rates paid by a property is based on its rateable valuation, as determined by the Valuation Office, multiplied the Annual Rate on Valuation set annually by the elected...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Contracts (9 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I have no direct role in the procurement practices of individual local authorities. In accordance with section 149 of the Local Government Act 2001, the Chief Executive of a local authority is responsible for the executive functions of the authority, which includes procurement. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP), an office within the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform,...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (9 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 704, 705 and 712 together. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, my Department has taken a number of measures to assist local authorities with the financial difficulties they are experiencing. At the outset and to minimise cash flow challenges, my Department arranged for the early payment of Local Property Tax (LPT) to all local authorities. As...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (3 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1157 and 1180 together. The levying and collection of rates are legally matters for each individual local authority. Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes. In order to support the local government sector, my Department is continuing to keep local authority income, expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Functions (3 Jun 2020)

John Paul Phelan: Council meetings are an integral and critical part of local democracy through which elected councils carry out statutory reserved functions and provide policy direction and oversight to local authorities. Arrangements for Council meetings are a matter for elected members who must, in accordance with the relevant provisions set out under Part 6 and Schedule 10 of the Local Government Act 2001,...

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: Deputy Danny Healy-Rae raised this as well and I agree fully. It has to be far too much ideology in terms of rural planning in general. It is a multifaceted answer but there are two obvious issues. First, there are the serviced sites on the edges of our towns and villages. There is also the dispersed rural housing, the once-off rural house. I am acutely familiar with some of the issues...

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: In advance of seeing the full details, I cannot give that guarantee. However, I fully understand the point the Deputy is making. The person in question is obviously afraid that he will lose the house that he has identified under the scheme. At different points during the measures the Government has announced and different agencies have implemented across the State, there have been...

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: Following on from the court judgment, the drafting of new criteria for eligibility for house construction in rural areas is not yet completed but I understand it is close to completion. In relation to how we go forward with rural development, the point the Deputy makes is correct. There are plenty of people in Ireland who would not like to see any more houses built in rural areas for...

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: Rural areas need new people too and there needs to be a balance brought into that debate.

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I will again preface my comments by saying that I will ask the Minister with responsibility for housing to respond directly. I repeat that there are vast differences between the delivery of different services depending on local authority areas. Louth County Council is a great example of an authority that is at the cutting edge in the issue of dereliction and bringing buildings that are...

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I am at the point of repeating myself. I cannot directly answer the questions because I have no direct responsibility for housing. When I was speaking earlier, I was paraphrasing what the Minister said last week regarding the consideration of extending the moratorium on evictions and rents. The points the Deputy makes are valid. I will collate all the questions relating to housing and the...

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I was at a meeting on this issue at the early stages of the crisis. Extensive consideration was given to the issue of centres in local authorities and if there was sufficient capacity. The population of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is around 250,000. Some local authorities, like my own, have a population of 100,000 while others have 60,000. There is not a uniform, one-size-fits-all...

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: On the planning law, I cannot directly refer to the issue Deputy Cairns has specifically raised. I would like to respond but suffice to say I wholeheartedly agree with the Deputy's points on the effect of Covid-19 on our towns and villages across the State, and with regard to the fear that exists in many of those places for the businesses on the main street or in the three or four streets...

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: I cannot because that decision has not been made yet by the senior Minister.

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: He has not even considered it yet. For me to comment upon it would be-----

Covid-19 (Local Government): Statements (27 May 2020)

John Paul Phelan: -----to prejudge it in a sense. I cannot. It is not an area in which I have a direct or indirect responsibility.