Results 8,441-8,460 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (17 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: 1The Budget for RAPID for 2012 is €4.15million, made up of €2.15million for Current expenditure and €2million for Capital expenditure. This represents a small reduction in comparable funding vis-á-vis 2011 RAPID funding and my priority in the light of that allocation is to ensure that there is sufficient funding available to meet existing legal contractual commitments for projects...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (17 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: 1Decisions on local authority structures generally, including the appointment of permanent managers in particular instances, will be decided in the light of the development of policy proposals on local government. These proposals will take account of the decisions taken to amalgamate local authorities in Limerick and Tipperary and to examine the case for a single authority in Waterford as...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (17 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: 1There is a range of options available to pay the household charge. An online system is in place in the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) to enable homeowners to pay the household charge by credit card/debit card or by direct debit. In addition, homeowners can make payments by cheque, postal order, etc. through the post to the LGMA. A bureau is in place in the LGMA to administer...

Written Answers — Property Valuations: Property Valuations (17 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: 1I refer to the reply to Question Nos. 172 and 178 which addressed the ongoing programme of revaluation of all commercial and industrial properties throughout the State. As regards residential property, it will be a matter for the Government to decide on the structure and modalities of the forthcoming property tax in the course in light, inter alia, of the work of the inter-Departmental...

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (17 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: 1The Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 provides that income from the household charge is to be paid into the Local Government Fund. The proceeds from the household charge will be re-distributed on an equalised basis to local authorities within the context of the annual allocations of General Purpose Grants, ensuring that those local authorities with lower populations than others...

Written Answers — Funeral Industry: Funeral Industry (17 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: 1My Department has responsibility for regulations regarding burial grounds. I have no plans to legislate for regulation of the wider funeral industry.

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: I thank the Deputies for their contributions and I will make a few points that I did not make at the beginning. Local authorities are generally committed to the delivery of a quality service to the public. Examples in which this is not the case have been given, but the issue is usually one of solving a problem rather than one of a correspondence trail. I give the highest priority to the...

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: On a point of order, I wish Deputy McGrath to acknowledge that I take responsibility for what I read out and we should not refer in any way to officials with regard to this matter.

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: It is in Kilkenny.

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy could walk to Waterford from where he lives.

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: I will tell the people that Deputy McGrath is against the project.

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: Are they really?

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: Definitely not by implication.

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: To do what?

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: It could do absolutely nothing.

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: I thank Deputy Niall Collins and the other Members who have contributed to the debate so far for their interest in the matter of local authority public administration. I have certain sympathy with the comments they made in respect of local authorities answering queries. For local government to be effective, efficient and focused locally, it must be allowed have a wide level of operational...

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: Fianna Fáil also opposed the appointment of the first person who held the position of Ombudsman. As I have stated, therefore, what is proposed in the Bill represents a welcome U-turn. I am delighted there are new recruits from Fianna Fáil to the cause of encouraging an independent assessment of people's representations.

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: The provisions of the Bill in regard to the Ombudsman are unnecessary because members of the public and public representatives who are dissatisfied with the services of a local authority or who are concerned about maladministration already have recourse to the Ombudsman. Specific reference in the Bill to the Ombudsman could be also counter-productive for public administration as a whole. It...

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: The Deputy is right.

Private Members' Business. Local Authority Public Administration Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jan 2012)

Phil Hogan: What does this have to do with the Bill?