Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 14 February 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Emer HigginsEmer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will start with two questions for CIF and Wind Energy Ireland that they have had much time to think about because I raised them in my first contribution. I ask about the zoned land and the simplification of that. I ask Wind Energy Ireland about the design envelope flexibility and how we bake repowering back into this legislation to make it work.

I was interested to hear Ms. Doyle’s thoughts on accountability. I am not sure I would agree with the CIF that it is not public money that would be paying the fines.

Something that has come up twice, both in an opening statement, I believe by IIP, and in the discussion since, is this idea of attracting talent into An Bord Pleanála. I questioned An Bord Pleanála representatives last week about that accountability space. They floated the idea of fixed-term contracts, which I would be a little bit hesitant about because that might make the situation worse. I am not an industry expert, so I would be open to hearing, in particular, IIP’s representatives’ views on that, given they raised this.

We will start with CIF and Wind Energy Ireland, followed by that hiring piece.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.