Results 1,881-1,900 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan

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

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 347 to 351, inclusive, together. The Programme for 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 report on metropolitan governance for Ireland's cities is at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Commission Establishment (18 Jan 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 it is informing the preparation of an Electoral Commission Bill to give effect to that.  Work is ongoing in my...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Standards in Public Office Commission (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Electoral Act 1997 (as amended) provides the statutory framework for dealing with political donations and sets out the regulatory regime covering a wide range of issues such as the funding of political parties; the reimbursement of election expenses; the establishment of election expenditure limits; the disclosure of election expenditure; the setting of limits on permissible donations;...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Presidential Elections (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1692 to 1695, inclusive, together. In response to the evolving needs of Irish society and its relationship with the wider Irish diaspora, the Government agreed in March 2017 to accept in principle the main recommendation in the  that Irish citizens resident outside the State, including citizens resident in Northern Ireland, should have the right to vote...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Non-Principal Private Residence Charge Exemptions (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Local Government (Charges) Act 2009, as amended, provides the legislative basis for the Non Principal Private Residence (NPPR) Charge. The NPPR Charge, which has since been discontinued, applied in the years 2009 to 2013 to any residential property in which the owner did not reside as their normal place of residence. A residential property that was not in use by an owner as his or her...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Government Reform (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Programme for a Partnership Government sets out a number of requirements in relation to local government reform. This involves the submission of a report to Government and the Oireachtas on potential measures to boost local government leadership and accountability, and to ensure that local government funding, structures and responsibilities strengthen local democracy. The...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Election Management System (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The preparation of the register of electors is a matter for each local authority, as a registration authority. It is the duty of registration authorities to ensure, as far as possible and with the cooperation of the public, the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the register. Electoral law provides for an entitlement rather than an obligation to be registered as an elector when eligibility...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Finances (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. The elected members of a local authority have direct responsibility in law for all reserved functions of the authority, which includes adopting the annual budget, and are democratically...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Boundaries (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: The Borough District of Sligo was determined in the County of Sligo Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2014. Any alteration in the borough district would be a matter for consideration in light of the review by the relevant local electoral areas boundary committee which is to report not later than 13 June 2018.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Rates (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1725 to1727, inclusive, together. 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 independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The levying and collection of rates are matters for each...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee Report (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I established two Local Electoral Area Boundary Committees on 13 December 2017 to review and make recommendations on local electoral areas.  They are tasked with reporting to me within six months.  Committee No. 1 is tasked with reviewing and making recommendations on all areas outside of Dublin, other than Cork and Galway.  Its tasks include reviewing local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Boundaries (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Pursuant to the Programme for a Partnership Government (PPG) a report will be submitted shortly to Government and the Oireachtas on potential measures to boost local government leadership and accountability, and to ensure that local government structures and responsibilities strengthen local democracy. The issue in relation to the boundary between counties Roscommon and Westmeath at...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Funding (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1789 and 1791 together. The funding system for local authorities is a complex one, as authorities derive their income from a variety of sources including commercial rates, charges for goods and services, Local Property Tax (LPT) as well as funding from Government Departments and other bodies. Local retention of LPT began in 2015 and is now established...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: European Parliament Elections (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: My Department has not received direct correspondence from Mr Donald Tusk or his office regarding possible changes to European constituencies. However, on 11 November 2015, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the reform of the electoral law of the European Union.  This resolution contains a Proposal for a Council decision adopting the provisions amending the Act...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Local authorities are under a statutory obligation to levy rates on the occupiers of rateable property in accordance with the details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the independent Commissioner of Valuation under the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. Legislative provision is made for the refund of rates paid on vacant commercial properties in certain circumstances. The Local...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: Commercial rates form an important element of the funding of all local authorities. However, the legislative basis for the levying of rates consists of over 20 separate pieces of legislation, some dating back to the 19th century. My Department has developed legislative proposals to modernise and consolidate the legislation governing commercial rates into a single enactment. In this...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee Report (16 Jan 2018)

John Paul Phelan: I established two Local Electoral Area Boundary Committees on 13 December 2017 to review and make recommendations on local electoral areas.  They are tasked with reporting to me within six months. The Committees are independent in the performance of their functions and the arrangements necessary for receipt of submissions are a matter for the Committees themselves.  Nevertheless, it...

Personal Explanation by Minister of State (14 Dec 2017)

John Paul Phelan: In a Topical Issues debate on 22 November I made the fatal mistake of losing my temper with my colleague, Deputy O'Rourke, who raised the issue of housing. During the course of the debate I claimed that he himself was involved in property development. I wish to correct the record to say that he is not involved in such activity and apologise for any offence that I may have caused him during...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Authority Expenditure (14 Dec 2017)

John Paul Phelan: I thank the Minister of State for putting down this Commencement matter. The whole area of local government and local government expenditure was covered, as the Senator mentioned, by the Local Government Reform Act 2014, which established the National Oversight and Audit Committee. The matter of examining how local authorities expend their resources and the value for money delivered for...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Local Authority Expenditure (14 Dec 2017)

John Paul Phelan: The staffing issues at NOAC have been brought to my attention. In light of the amount of work NOAC is trying to do, I agree it is insufficient for it to have just five members of staff. The balance of powers between local authority executives and members is under consideration in the report that is being drafted at present. When we reflect on the possibility of providing for executive...