Results 21-40 of 429 for going forward speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On this point, from us going through this I am sure that it will not be the case that this would be an exception. We will go back and look at this piece and will come forward with an explanatory note on this.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...local authorities now operating e-planning. Fingal County Council, Deputy O'Callaghan's area, opened that up in the past week or so. I turn to the issue of a unique identifier and the stamp. You go into the local authority with your paper and it is stamped. On the e-planning system there is a unique identifier and an electronic stamp, so you know when that has been uploaded and the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ..., including social infrastructure, which we know a modern state needs. We should not hide behind this in any way, shape or form. When we set down statutory timeframes, they should be met. In my view and that of Government, there should be a mechanism for a small proportion of those costs to be repaid and for the information to be published. It should not act as an incentive for an...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We have tried to give the committee information that might be useful for this evening. As regards the lifespan, there are two things. Going back a little as to whether someone should seek an extension to the existing lifespan of a wind farm, one of the reasons for that, looking back and not being here, was that there would be a situation where, say, an existing wind farm involved...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: This is not about consultation with an Oireachtas joint committee. What Deputies Ó Broin, Gould and Ó Snodaigh are proposing is that for every national planning statement a motion, post its publication but before its adoption, would go to the Dáil and Seanad. Does the motion go for debate? I assume from the examples Deputy Ó Broin made reference to that it would go to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The provision of social and affordable housing has been an absolute priority for myself and any future government will bring forward its housing plan in relation to delivery. For the first time, every local authority has exact targets and plans for all tenures of housing and that will be carried forward. There is the implementation of Government plans and the investment that is required to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: .... It is not unlike the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities, where there is a design checklist outlining what the planner should go through. Obviously decisions need to be appropriate in the context of the national planning statements and what the State wants to do in areas like densification, for example. Have we made sure that...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...Agency Act 2021. The Land Development Agency will develop 100% social and affordable housing on State-owned land in Cork and Dublin. The utilisation of State lands is happening, and that is a good thing. That is reflected here and the LDA's output is increasing year on year. Part 7 also points to the Affordable Housing Act 2021. Underpinned in principle right the way through this is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I fully understand what is being put forward. There is a bit of hair splitting in this but let me try to be helpful. This is a question with which we go way back to the start of committee where we have the amendment on the Long Title of the Bill that will be taken last for procedural reasons. For the information of Deputies, it might help on this that the Long Title will be changed to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...sure they are right. I have given the commitment as well to look at that in advance to see where we can strengthen it. I should have referred to the Bill itself. Our definition, which I brought forward, already covers what the Deputies want but I am open to looking at whether it can be strengthened further. Take, for argument’s sake, the example of hedgerows. I put in the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: .... I will try to cover them as best I can. I will start at the beginning with regard to the restoration. I have already addressed what we are doing on the biodiversity front. I am not going to repeat that; we will come back to it. The amendments around the national planning framework, NPF, requirement regarding conservation of the environment and its amenities include the term...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...last census, in 2022. There was a delay in the full publication of the data because of Covid. The Deputy made a point that I actually agreed with when in opposition and that I now agree with in government, namely that what we started with in 2016 was too conservative. That speaks to a discussion we had last week on allowing flexibility regarding headroom for development based on seeing...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...we roll out affordable housing. Again, I mentioned last week that we are looking at one scheme in particular in that regard. The priority area plans will be very important. I will include them in an amendment I will bring forward on Report Stage. There will also be an amendment relating to specific plans for our islands. If the definition of a settlement is taken, none of our islands...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...Ballyvourney. This is why we need to get into the weeds on this to see what works for one area versus another. Rather than including a definition around language planning, I believe it would be much better to put it forward as part of the amendments. To be very clear, while respecting what is in the amendments and the reasons they are put forward, I genuinely believe that what I bring...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: .... Local authority planners have been involved so there has been wide consultation. They have presented to this committee as well during pre-legislative scrutiny. We are in the process of going through the Bill. As I said at the outset, we need to update our planning legislation. We need to do this because we need new planning legislation that underpins what the State needs. We need...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputies O'Callaghan and Ó Broin for their contributions. The Attorney General advises policies with Government. We have to heed the Attorney General's advice. That is clear and that is how every Government should operate. The Attorney General and his team, and indeed the previous Attorney General, have been incredibly helpful in relation to getting this far with this...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We are going to work on section 10, as we discussed already, with regard to third-party interactions. That just goes forward from the enactment of this legislation. When enacted, the legislation will apply to any new applications. Should such applications go forward to court, that will happen in the context of the provisions of this Bill. There is no retrospection in respect of this matter.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: .... Emissions are a separate matter and I think that is clear. It should be clear to all. That is the rationale. I am trying to be helpful. I get the Deputy's point. I have not said I am going to give the Deputy numerous notes. We have explained our rationale. I am trying to assist in this regard and see if we can refine the advice we got to try to help the Deputy's understanding of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...would not be talking about issues with housing supply. I would imagine the number of occasions convertible planning permissions turn into homes that actually meet overall demand in real terms is going to be exceptionally rare. It will not happen in the next number of years, in my view, because of the lack of supply for a ten-year period. It should not be a reason, however, to say - not...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ...a year ago but have not done so. We still have not seen that. I was in Brussels last week for a meeting of EPOCH. Let us compare construction across our EU partners. This is important to see where we are going. There are very serious housing issues in all EU countries. We are the only country out of 19 in which construction grew last year. This year it is projected to grow more...