Results 1,601-1,620 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Mayoral Election (18 Sep 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to consider directly elected mayors in cities as part of a broader range of local government reform measures aimed at strengthening local democracy. In response to this commitment, a policy discussion paper on local government leadership, governance and administration, including in relation to directly elected mayors for...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Seanad Reform (7 Sep 2018)

John Paul Phelan: A Programme for a Partnership Government includes a goal for this Government to pursue the implementation of the Manning Report, formally known as the Report of the Working Group on Seanad Reform. That report makes recommendations to restructure and reform the Seanad, including implementation of the 1979 amendment of the constitution to extend the university franchise at Seanad elections to...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (7 Sep 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Local Government (Rates) Bill 2018 was published by the Government on 9 August 2018. Given that the current legislative basis for the levying and collection of rates is spread over a number of enactments, some dating back to the 19th century, the Bill contains proposals for some modernisation and consolidation of the legislation governing commercial rates. Included in the provisions...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (7 Sep 2018)

John Paul Phelan: My Department does not allocate specific funding for estate management purposes as this is a matter for each individual local authority. Local authorities receive income from a variety of sources, including grants from Central Government, Local Property Tax, commercial rates and other locally-raised charges. Each authority is mandated to determine its own spending priorities, while...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Reform (7 Sep 2018)

John Paul Phelan: A provision of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012 links the State funding of political parties in the Electoral Acts to the achievement of a gender balance in candidate selection for Dáil general elections. To receive full State funding under the Electoral Acts, a qualified political party had to have at least 30% women candidates and at least 30% men candidates at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Reform (7 Sep 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Part 6 of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Act 2012 (which amends Part III of the Electoral Act 1997) provides that, in order to receive full State funding under the Electoral Acts, a qualified political party must have at least 30% women candidates and at least 30% men candidates at a general election. This came into effect for the first time at the general election of February...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Child Care Services (7 Sep 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1366 and 1367 together. The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions under the Valuation Acts and the making of valuations for rating purposes is solely his responsibility.  As Minister, I have no function in relation to decisions in this regard. The Valuation Act 2001, as amended by the Valuation...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Register of Electors (7 Sep 2018)

John Paul Phelan: 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 co-operation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Register. The focus of my Department's work in relation to the Register is to support and assist registration authorities in ensuring that an appropriate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I apologise for being a few minutes late. It is hard to predict the volume of traffic on the Naas Road, as Senator Victor Boyhan pointed out. I am pleased to attend to provide the members of the joint committee with an update on the position in the review of the role and remuneration of the elected members of local authorities. I am joined by Mr Diarmuid O'Leary, Ms Louise Purcell and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I did not realise that Deputy Cassells was elected to the council in 1999. We started at the same time. The world has changed for councillors in the interim. I was a student at the time and I was extremely happy to get a cheque for a couple of hundred quid at the end of the month in order to keep my little Renault 19 on the road. The number of meetings we were obliged to attend was very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I am just trying to take a note of what Senator Boyhan was saying. He covered-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: It has been my intention all along that this review will be completed and that the interim report will give people who are considering running - be it for parties or as independents - an idea of the position before the end of this year. The final report will be competed in the spring. That has always been my intention. I cannot really direct Sara Moorhead. I had a preliminary meeting with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I do not think there is. If I had the report in by February or March, I would love to implement it immediately. However, it has to go to through Government and it has to go through other Departments. Being perfectly honest, the new local authorities that will be elected at the end of May next year would be the obvious starting point. If it could be sooner, I would love it to happen. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Senator is right. I was a councillor 20 years ago and it was a very different world. She has asked a lot of questions and I have noted as many as I could. She should put these matters in a submission to Ms Sara Moorhead. There are issues that are under consideration, such as the maternity leave issue. There is a local government Bill coming up and we might make a small adjustment to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I take on board fully the Deputy's points about employees. While Ms Moorhead is aware of the issue, devising a solution that would be satisfactory for employers is difficult. However, it is an issue that has to be grasped. Otherwise, councils will be composed solely of wealthy, retired or unemployed people. We need a mix. The question is whether a system can be devised to provide people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Deputy Casey struck on one of the key issues I referred to earlier, which is who councillors can approach for advice. That is one of those soft supports. I do not know whether it should be one person. In some of the larger authorities such as Dublin City Council, which has the second-largest elected chamber in the country at 63 people, it might need to be more than one person. In any...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I agree with virtually all of what Deputy Coppinger said probably for the first time in my life. She is correct about the workload varying dramatically. It also varies even within wards in the sense that some councillors do far more than others. Some councillors do many things that are not things the taxpayer should be paying for. That does not apply to every councillor. Senator Boyhan...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Role and Remuneration of Elected Members of Local Authorities: Discussion (12 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Deputy's suggestion is not unreasonable. I will bring it to the attention of Ms Moorhead but ultimately she operates independently of me, as must be the case. I will ask Mr. O'Leary to relay the message regarding timeframes for submissions and the surveying of councillors. I will now address a question from the Chairman. Councillors are accessible 24-7. The provision for...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Housing Rents (10 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister. I thank him for the opportunity to outline the current position. In response to his final question, my understanding is this is not currently a reserved function for local authority members. I will try to get an answer on the effect of SI 214 of 2014 on the differential rent scheme. ...

Topical Issue Debate: Local Authority Housing Rents (10 Jul 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The only answer I can give the Deputy is that the results of the review undertaken by the Minister and his officials on his behalf are imminent. Following that, a scheme for a more uniform system of differential rent will be introduced. That is the Government's proposal. I am not sure why the original proposal from the 2009 legislation has not yet become law. I will endeavour to find out....