Results 13,181-13,200 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Local Authority Charges (11 Jan 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Deputy Farrell for raising this important issue. As he has made clear, the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, has already taken appropriate measures to address problems arising from the presence of pyrite in hard core material under the concrete ground floor slabs in housing developments. In September 2011, the Minister established an independent panel with the remit of seeking to...

Local Authority Charges (11 Jan 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I will ensure the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, is informed of the Deputy's views and suggestions and that he will respond directly to Deputy Farrell as soon as possible.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: -----that those in most need in our communities would be on salaries of up to €150,000. Let us get real. I urge the Deputies to withdraw the amendments. It is just ridiculous. The exemptions to the household charge, taken together with the waivers contained in the Bill, provide a reasonable level of protection for those in greatest need in our communities. As such, it is not proposed to...

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: To be helpful, they will be exempt.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: The owner.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Deputies opposite for the variety of their contributions. I listened to them with great interest. The estimates prepared by my Department regarding the number of people will not be paying this charge indicate that the number of local authority, voluntary and co-operative housing tenants comes to 155,000; ghost estates, which are mainly in category 4 but also category 3, account...

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: It may be helpful to the Deputy if I explained how the measure will be interpreted. A national directive would be necessary to set out what can or cannot be taken into account when offering exemptions. The same rules would have to apply to every manager. I presume this would be a reserved function for the manager and the council would not make the decision. This power is comparable to...

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I just want to reply to some of the amendments.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I appreciate that the problem is time. I would like to talk about the issue of pyrite, which was raised by a number of people. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, has already taken appropriate measures to address problems arising from the presence of pyrite in hardcore material under the concrete ground-floor slabs in housing developments. In...

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for that. In a democracy, it is our job to listen to what everybody has to say and then sum up at the end. The household charge as proposed under the current Bill is forecast to raise in the region of €160 million on full collection, and any significant reduction in that amount would have significant implications for the level of services that local...

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: This is the heart of the matter.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: Tá nóiméad amháin fágtha agam.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am nearly finished lads.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: It simply beggars belief that Deputies could suggest-----

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Final Stages (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: It is excluded.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: On a point of order, my speech will not take more than ten minutes maximum if that is helpful to Deputy Higgins.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I heard nothing from Deputy Higgins that I have not heard from him before. In the Seanad, where we had more than 11 hours of debate on the Bill, all of the arguments, including many which were not alluded to by the Deputy, were put to me and to everybody else who attended the debate. I will begin by clarifying several important points. Tens of thousands of people in this country will not...

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: I did not interrupt the Deputy and I ask him to afford me the same courtesy. In addition, all persons in receipt of a subsidy from the Health Service Executive on account of their inability to pay their mortgage - there were some 18,000 in that position at the last count - will be exempt. In the case of home owners living in what are deemed to be unfinished housing estates - there are some...

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: Tuigim é sin.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: Glacaim leis, i dtosach, nach bhfuil aon rud pearsanta sa mhéid a dúirt an Teachta Ó hUigín thall. Glacaim leis sin. Tá an Bille seo ann toisc gur deineadh beart ag an Rialtas roimhe seo leis an EU/IMF agus toisc go gcaithfear dlí a dhéanamh chun an t-airgead a bhailiú. Níl aon dul as ag an tír seo ach é sin a dhéanamh. Níl aon rogha againn sa mhéid seo. B'fhéidir go bhfuil...