Results 1,481-1,500 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan

Central Bank (National Claims Information Database) Bill 2018: Instruction to Committee (27 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I will try to address some of the issues. No one has objected to the Motion itself and the Deputies will have opportunities to tease out issues further at Committee Stage. I share Deputy Doherty's reservation that the insurance industry would directly fund An Garda Síochána, as would many Members of the House. I have discussed this with the Minister and I understand that he is...

African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Instruction to Committee (27 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: To conclude the comments I made at the outset on the second amendment to which the Deputies referred, the change in the law this amendment speaks to is necessitated by a specific issue that arose during the course of a review of a freedom of information decision by the Information Commissioner, which in part involved records that are taxpayer confidential. Under the current provisions of...

Central Bank (National Claims Information Database) Bill 2018: Instruction to Committee (27 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I move:That, pursuant to Standing Order 200, Standing Order 154 is modified to provide that it be an instruction to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach that it has power to make provision in the Central Bank (National Claims Information Database) Bill 2018 in relation to:section 8 of the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004 to enhance the effectiveness...

African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018: Instruction to Committee (27 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I move:"That it be an instruction to the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, in relation to the African Development (Bank and Fund) Bill 2018, that:(a) Standing Order 154 is modified as outlined in Standing Order 200 to provide that the Committee has power to make amendments to the Bill which are outside the existing subject matter of the Bill, in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Deputy Connolly and other Deputies referred to staff numbers. I believe the Deputy quoted a reduction of between 20% and 30% in staff numbers in the Galway councils since 2008. There is not a local authority in the State that has not had a 20% reduction in staff members since 2008. There might be an issue in Galway about the increase in numbers since, such as in the last year or two. I do...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Funding (27 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. Deputy Connolly was probably attending the Committee of Public Accounts meeting last week when the Galway Deputies, and some strays from Roscommon, attended a meeting about the Local Government Bill 2018. It particularly focused on funding but also dealt with other issues. I have held this office for a little more than a year and the funding...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (27 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Local authorities’ costs and income bases vary significantly from one another, based on their size, demography, topography and rural/urban mix. Accordingly, the funding system that applies to local authorities is a complex one, as authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services and funding from Central Government. ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates Exemptions (21 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I refer to my reply to Question No. 113 of 14 November 2018, which sets out the position on this matter.  There are no proposals under consideration for a discount of commercial rates for childcare service providers.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Register (20 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Electoral law provides that an elector ordinarily resident in a hospital, nursing home or other similar institution who is unable to go in person to vote at their normal polling station by reason of a physical illness or disability may apply to be included in a special voters list. Arrangements are made at each election or referendum, including at a Presidential election, for such voters to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Divisions Report (20 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I established two independent Local Electoral Area Boundary Committees on 13 December 2017 to review and make recommendations on local electoral areas having regard to, among other things, the results of Census 2016 as well as the commitment to consider reducing the size of territorially large local electoral areas as set out in A Programme for Partnership Government (May 2016). ...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Register (20 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Electoral law provides that the preparation of the register of electors is a matter for each local registration authority.  It is their duty to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. In March 2017 the Government determined that work should commence on modernisation of the voter registration process in...

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: They do. The Deputy should read the submission made by the AILG-----

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Deputy Cassells should read the AILG submission to Sara Moorhead, which says in black and white that they favour the municipal district system. I have heard the same in meetings that I have had with the AILG. It should be noted that more than half of the board of the AILG is made up of Fianna Fáil councillors, although I have no doubt that there are some Fianna Fáil councillors...

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Fair enough. I am just saying that the representative group for councillors favours the municipal district system. It also favours giving the districts more power, autonomy and money, which is the point I was trying to make. Deputy Fitzmaurice referred to the strengthening of the municipal districts. Part of the meeting we will have with the Galway members will be about that very issue....

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I will conclude by saying that I will meet the Galway representatives. This is not a slight on Galway. There will be a Bill in respect of Galway. We can go through the issues of funding and so forth.

Local Government Bill 2018: Referral to Select Committee (15 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I move:That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, pursuant to Standing Orders 84A(3)(a) and 149(1).

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I accept that Deputy Fitzmaurice did not say it. There are many councillors who have not fully made up their minds. Funding is a key issue. I have no difficulty in talking to Deputies Connolly and Grealish and others about retaining the position of mayor of Galway. The position dates back to the 1400s and there is a symbolic importance to it. This is more than just a ceremonial position....

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I will try to get through as many of the points raised as possible. In that context, I tend to take too many notes. I thank the Members who contributed to the debate. More than expected did so. Deputy Cassells spoke first and expressed emotions, which I have felt myself in the past, about the campaign by members of Louth County Council to extend their remit into County Meath. I know...

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Deputy Cassells requested more specifics on the financial arrangements, but particularly the timeframe for the handover in Cork and when any compensation package can be reviewed. It is very much the intention that the ten-year mark would be the point at which such a review would take place. The Deputy spoke about transferring assets and liabilities under sections 9 and 11. The legislation...

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Yes, we intend establish them on a statutory footing. The powers they will have will be primarily in the area of forward planning and transport. Currently, such functions are not adequately performed by local authorities. A good example of co-operation, perhaps even the best example in the country, is at Graiguecullen, which straddles the boundary between Carlow and Laois. The authorities...