Results 1,701-1,720 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Did I?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: If I did, it was in error. I was talking about land use designation rather than zoning.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: If I used the word "zoning", I emphasise that it was unintentional.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Zoning is a function that is reserved separately for each authority. Equally, responsibility for the raising of finance through commercial rates or the local property tax will remain with individual authorities. These groups will be set out in the local government Bill that is due to be discussed in the coming weeks. It is possible that additional powers will be given to this structure if...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I reiterate that the process is at an early stage and that nothing has been finalised. The current regional structure might have some resonance with the general public in the greater Dublin area but not in the southern region of the country which extends from County Wexford to County Clare. Equally, however, there are three specific old former regions, the south east, the south west and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: There could be many elections in 2019.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The objective, which is still on course. is that this remuneration group will produce an interim report by Halloween, which will offer a route or a mechanism to link the pay of councillors directly to a grade in the public service.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Yes. The Senator's point is correct. Whether it is related to boundaries or remuneration people are entitled to know in advance before they make decisions on whether they will standing. I do not deal with these matters on a national level, but there is no shortage of people looking to run for the Fine Gael Party in the local elections in County Kilkenny.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: It is not just about the remuneration; it is about pension entitlements and other supports. Some local authorities provide secretarial supports. The Taoiseach in his initial discussions with me about this matter was adamant that local authorities should provide not just secretarial support but research facilities. That might mean one person in a local authority who can check the statute on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The point the vice chairman has made is virtually identical to the first point that Deputy Fergus O'Dowd made. There are similarities between Bray and Drogheda in that sense. I will certainly talk to my colleagues regarding the planning and development proposals under the national development plan and whether further resources be given to the districts with towns that have experienced large...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: No, it had been made a town council. The commissions were abolished 15 or 20 years ago. They were all made town councils. However, the Vice Chairman is right in that it was originally a town commission. There were five local authorities in Wicklow, which did not make sense. I do not know the population off the top of my head, but I am guessing it is about 140,000. One local authority is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: They will all be published before summer. We will have a local government Bill and the reports before summer. I expect to be back to the committee before summer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: As has been said, "They haven't gone away, you know."

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I cannot answer directly. I will report to Government on Wednesday, when, hopefully, a decision will be made.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Senator Boyhan will be aware of the report that was published by the group.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Local Government Reform: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Government will make a decision on that report and on further actions or otherwise on foot of that report.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Reform (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Electoral law provides for a prohibition on the display or distribution of any notice, sign or poster, (other than a notice, sign or poster displayed by the returning officer) or card, circular or other document relating to a referendum, within 50 metres of a polling station.  Contravention of this provision is an offence.  I do not have a role in the enforcement of this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee Report (31 May 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 Commission Establishment (31 May 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The 2016 report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht on the establishment of an electoral commission is informing the implementation of the commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Government on establishing an electoral commission and the preparation of an Electoral Commission Bill to give effect to that.  Work is ongoing in my Department...