Results 8,101-8,120 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (7 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I do. I thank the Chair for letting me back in again. To take up on a point that Deputy Doherty raised, my understanding of LPT was from the outset that no local authority would be worse off under the system than it was under the historic grant central Government funding system. With the removal of equalisation, I assume it will still be the case that no local authority will be worse off...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: General Scheme of the Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Discussion (7 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: This is something I have examined, particularly in Wicklow. Seven or eight other local authorities are affected by this issue. The baseline has not been reviewed for many years. Wicklow is the one I am most familiar with, as will Senator Casey. By population, we are well below what the baseline figure should be. By population growth over the past ten years or so, we are way below where we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Infrastructure: Discussion (7 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I have listened with interest, but I have no further questions to put. I thank the Chairman for inviting me to contribute. I was at another meeting, but I was listening. I thank the witnesses for their participation.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: 86. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress made to date on the implementation of the White Paper to End Direct Provision and replace it with a new international protection support service; the expected timeline of implementation going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36290/21]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Invasive Species Policy (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: 250. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the position regarding a rhododendron management plan for Wicklow National Park; if his attention has been drawn to the growing presence of this invasive species in this location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36456/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: 363. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department is considering additional measures or initiatives to help address the extremely high rate of youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36293/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: 484. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding Irish citizens returning home after residing abroad who are fully vaccinated using a non EMA approved Covid-19 vaccine (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29659/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I welcome Members and witnesses to this meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, at which we will be discussing the proposed changes to local property tax, LPT. We are joined by Ms Anne Marie Walshe from the tax division of the Department of Finance and Dr. Keith Walsh from the statistics and economic research branch of Revenue, who has responsibility for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Ms Walshe. Would Dr. Keith Walsh like to make an opening statement?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: That is fine. As mentioned by Ms Walshe, the distribution of the LPT yield and matters associated with local government funding arise from Government decisions sponsored by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and so it is probably not for the Department of Finance to discuss those issues. If, however, members do wish to put down questions for the Department, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I invite Ms Walshe to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: The sound during Deputy Gould's contribution was not great. Did Ms Walshe pick up those questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: The officials might confirm something. In the opening statement it was suggested property price increases of 75% have been applied in working out the new bands.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: We move to a Green Party slot which I am going to take. When property tax was introduced, along with the Local Government Reform Act 2014, county councils were split up into municipal districts, or that was my experience in County Wicklow anyway. There was often conversation in council chambers about how there has been more money spent in one district than in another and that it is easy to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I refer to the local adjustment factor. Is that something that can be dealt with by the Department of Finance or Revenue or is that more of a local government question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: Let us say councillors take the decision raise taxes, which is not often an easy one as nobody likes to do it and it is often unpopular but if we are going to provide more local services it is the wise thing to do. I would often have spoken in favour of minor rises in the LPT when I was a councillor because I could see the value it brought in general across the county. The provision of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Ms Walshe and will take that matter up with the Department. Let us consider a case where two houses are side by side and each is valued in or around €400,000, which would put them in band 4. If one of those houses does an extensive two-storey extension, including another bedroom or two, the valuation of that property will increase. Will that result in a higher property tax?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: LPT is for the provision of local services. If somebody carries out renovations, either energy retrofits to their house or adds an extension and improves the value of the property on the site, he or she will end up paying a higher property tax. That does not make sense to me. Perhaps Dr. Walsh will answer that question. Has any consideration been given to site value tax whereby the sites...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: Have the Department of Finance or Revenue looked at an alternative site value tax rather than the value of the building on the site?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: The Deputy is just out of time. If it is helpful, the date that was indicated to me was 31 August 2021 because the deadline for notification of local adjustment factor and variation decisions to the Revenue Commissioners.