Results 1,501-1,520 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan

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

John Paul Phelan: And Tipperary.

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

John Paul Phelan: It was Patrick Kavanagh, in fairness. It was not that high-brow.

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

John Paul Phelan: There was a County Drogheda once.

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

John Paul Phelan: The Deputy can see I do my homework.

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

John Paul Phelan: The Deputy should continue the quote: "And old McCabe stripped to the waist".

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I have been called worse.

Local Government Bill 2018: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I will endeavour to continue from where I stopped when I began my contribution. I propose to bring forward a number of amendments to the main provisions dealing with the Cork boundary alteration following consultation by the Department with the Cork implementation oversight group and comments received from the Cork local authorities since the Bill was published. I will now go through...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Quality (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this issue. I am taking it on behalf of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. I am pleased to have an opportunity to outline the policy and legislative arrangements that are in place for the development and delivery of water services. I understand that the "do not use" notice in respect of water services at Belvelly was removed in recent days...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Quality (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I reiterate that my contacts with Irish Water on constituency matters have always been positive.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Quality (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The primary function of Irish Water is to provide clean and safe drinking water to consumers and to treat wastewater in a safe and environmentally correct manner. This is not a question of resources. Irish Water's capital investment plans from 2014 to 2021 have identified that €5.5 billion is necessary for the upgrading of the system. The level of funding available to allow...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Quality (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Okay. I misunderstood. I will endeavour to get a response from Irish Water in the context of the safety issue. It is important to point out that in this case, Cork County Council, the HSE and Irish Water lifted the notice together. I have no reason to doubt them.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Quality (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I will endeavour to get the logic and the reasoning behind the decision to lift the notice. I do not think it was done lightly. Water quality is an important issue. We should ensure the highest standards apply. I reiterate that the Water Services Acts 2007 to 2017 give specific roles to Irish Water and to the Minister. The Minister cannot directly interfere in the allocation of resources...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Boundaries Review (14 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). The two...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates Exemptions (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on any property used for commercial purposes in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The Commissioner of Valuation has responsibility for valuation matters, including determination of relevant property under the Acts for the...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Regulatory Impact Assessments (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht undertook a public consultation process on the establishment of an electoral commission on the basis of a consultation paper prepared by my Department in 2015. The Committee published a report on the consultation in January 2016. This report contains a series of recommendations regarding the establishment of an...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Register (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: In March 2017 the Government determined that work should commence on modernisation of the voter registration process in the context of the possible need to register voters resident outside the State in the event that a referendum on extending the franchise in Presidential elections is passed. The project, which it is estimated will take some 2-3 years to complete, will also include...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Referendum Campaigns (14 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Government announced on 26 September 2017 that it had agreed an indicative timetable for the holding of a number of referendums on proposals for amendments to the Constitution arising from the work of the Citizens’ Assembly and the Convention on the Constitution. In this context, my Department will be responsible for bringing forward appropriate Constitution Amendment Bills on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee Report (13 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 601 and 612 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Register (13 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: In March 2017 the Government determined that work should commence on modernisation of the voter registration process in the context of the possible need to register voters resident outside the State in the event that a referendum on extending the franchise in Presidential elections is passed. The project, which it is estimated will take some two to three years to complete, will also...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (13 Nov 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Section 106 of the Local Government Act 2001 sets the framework for borrowing by local authorities. Borrowing by a local authority is a reserved function of the elected members who have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority. The value of total loans outstanding by local authorities at the end of 2016 (the most recent year for which aggregated audited...