Results 161-180 of 429 for going forward speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...We will tease out this issue a bit further. It is up to the Deputy whether he presses the amendment, and I fully respect that. However, we will examine a mechanism that we could potentially bring forward on Report Stage, perhaps under regulations, whereby we could explore giving the public participation networks, PPNs, a role. This aspect must be structured properly, though. The...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: We are taking feedback from the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, and other bodies, on this matter. One of the big challenges we have concerns brownfield urban development sites. It has been said to us clearly that the 15% limitation in this regard was restrictive. We are looking at some larger developments which we want to have that desired mix of crèches, shops, launderettes...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...Persons with Disabilities. I explained this at length. These matters are more appropriate to building control and standards legislation, rather than planning legislation. It is important we have good and exacting standards in the local authorities and we are getting much better, but we need to produce much more. People with disabilities spend much more time on the social housing...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (1 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...not receive a briefing. A circular was issued some time ago, although not by me, whereby councillors could not call up files. They did not wish to get involved in the planning decision but to put forward their views. It used to work well in my local authority, for which I can speak. I am considering what we can do. The Deputy referred to Dublin City Council. There is nothing to stop...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Second Stage (25 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...on all aspects of the Bill. I welcome that. A number of amendments were made during Committee and Report Stages in the Seanad which I was happy to accept. These will enhance the Bill. I will go through some of the amendments that were made in a little bit more detail later. As the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach will be aware, in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future, a...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (23 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...We have discussed these amendments and they have a great deal of merit. The two amendments are similar. I said on Committee Stage that we would work together to see how we can move the situation forward. There is merit in such proposals although I did flag there may be issues around structure and wording.I note that the Senators have come back with a revised wording for such a...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Second Stage (17 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...to Senators for facilitating the debate on this urgent rental legislation. I also wish to record my thanks to the Chief Whip and to the members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage for enabling this Bill to be read a Second Time here in Seanad Éireann. I am asking Senators to pass the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021 and to...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021: Second Stage (17 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...and those of Senator Moynihan and others. The Bill is not a silver bullet and, as they highlighted, there are other steps we need to take. This is the sixth item of tenancy legislation I have brought forward. We need to improve security of tenure for tenants, which the Bill will do, and reduce the cost of rent, which I fundamentally believe can be done properly only by increasing...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...plan is being restored.That is an important reserved function of our councillors. Regarding everything the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, and I set out to do to date in local government, going back to the terms and conditions for councillors, to which we gave a commitment, and to giving powers to local councillors to pause development plans, which some people said could not be done,...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...want to see things moving. We also have to see viable permissions get to breaking ground and delivering the homes we need. The measures that I and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, are bringing forward both on the planning side, including owner-occupier guarantees and the other measures I have mentioned, and the zoned land tax piece, in particular, from the Minister for Finance...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...it would involve the granting of permission on a person or entity rather than on a site. What it is actually saying is that the permission is not on the land. That being the case, where would we go with forward planning and plan-led development, which is what we should have? Under what the Senator is proposing, if Senator Boyhan, for example, applies for planning permission for 500...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...on Second Stage. Transitional arrangements are required when we make changes to planning because if people are engaged in a system, they cannot legally be ripped out of it and told they are going into a new one. Much as one may want to do that, we have to be cognisant of the law. In fairness, the Senator is proposing to reduce it collectively to eight weeks but, based on experience with...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Committee Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...question about that. One of the four pathways in Housing for All policy is concerned with how we can tackle vacancy. It applies to existing and new stock. We discussed the zoned land tax. It is going to be significant and a major change from what exists now. In addition, the other aspect that will be significant in this regard is the vacant property tax that I and the Minister for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Policy (11 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...issues in the provision of housing, which is really important, and will take a longer-term view on matters. The programme for Government also commits to holding a referendum on housing and we are going to do that. Housing for All, which was agreed by the three Government parties and published in September 2021, commits to the establishment of a commission on housing, with the timeline...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Real Estate Investment Trusts (11 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...backed by more than €20 billion, more than Sinn Féin sought. We have banned bulk-buying of family homes and duplexes. Just this week, we introduced an owner-occupier guarantee, which will come forward in the large-scale residential development, LSRD, Bill, which I assume the Deputy will support. An Bord Pleanála, in the conditions of two recent decisions on planning...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Second Stage (10 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...Development) Bill 2021 to the Seanad. I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Members for facilitating early debate on this very important Bill. As the House will be aware, the Programme for Government - Our Shared Future committed to not extending the strategic housing development, SHD, planning arrangements, which were introduced under the previous Government's Rebuilding Ireland action...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Second Stage (10 Nov 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Senators who contributed in a positive way - Senators Cummins, Moynihan, Malcolm Byrne, Warfield, McDowell, Black and Conway and my good friend and colleague, Senator Casey. I have taken note of the points they raised. I have always been convinced that the best place for planning is with the local authorities. We must resource them to do that work. Every Senator, including...

Rental Sector: Motion [Private Members] (19 Oct 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: ...do that. That is fine but come out and say it. What is the party's alternative for those 1,300 families next year? I have shown a pathway out of leasing and I have shown the way in which we are going to increase our social housing delivery to a level never seen before in this State, starting in 2022. Sinn Féin has also said, in predictable criticisms that have been put forward...