Results 2,821-2,840 of 15,009 for speaker:Eoin Ó Broin

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: Okay. I will get into the substance of that when we move on to the next section, rather than spilling over the debate now.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I have some questions. It might take a little longer than the previous section.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: The Minister of State explained that, under section 34, a new national planning policy statement will be issued. There will be a procedure within which the regional assembly will have to do a report and the Office of the Planning Regulator will have to determine whether there is a material inconsistency. If there is, "the director of the regional assembly shall invoke the expedited...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: That would be perfect.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I am looking for a few further clarifications. It is clear from the Minister of State's very helpful summary that there is, first of all, no public consultation with respect to the proposed amendment that is being insisted upon by the Minister. I am unclear as to why there is the provision for the six weeks, whereby if there is not a resolution, the amendment will be deemed to be made. I...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: On that, so that I am clear, the idea of the six weeks is essentially to say to the regional assembly that if it does not get its act together and hold a meeting with the six weeks, the amendment will proceed anyway. It is to force the assembly to have the meeting within that period if it is not happy with the direction so that it cannot vexatiously delay the decision-making process for a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: On that - and the Minister of State will excuse me as I am one of the people in this room who has far less knowledge of the regional assemblies than others - is that six weeks, six working weeks? Does it take into account periods where the assembly might not be working, for example, holidays at certain times of the year, or is it just six calendar weeks?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: Ordinarily, would regional assemblies meet every four weeks, similar to councils?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: Is there a period where they do not meet in a four-week cycle? Some councils do not meet in August, for example.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: What is the Minister of State reading from?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: On the first question I asked, will the Minister of State confirm there is no provision for public participation when the amendment has been made?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: However, not if they are not necessary.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I move amendment No. 281: In page 87, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following: “(iv) any relevant language plans agreed in accordance with the Gaeltacht Act 2012 for a Gaeltacht Language Planning Area, Gaeltacht Service Town or Irish Language Network within the region.”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Mar 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I move amendment No. 284: In page 88, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following: “(f) any relevant language plans agreed in accordance with the Gaeltacht Act 2012 for a Gaeltacht Language Planning Area, Gaeltacht Service Town or Irish Language Network within the region,”.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: I have some technical questions. I have no issue with the amendments at all. Regarding the change of the language in amendment No. 169 from subject to SEAs and AAs to subject to the screening, can the Minister explain the logic or rationale for that? It is a change. Can the Minister give us his view as to its compliance with the necessary EU directives? The remainder of the amendments,...

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

Eoin Ó Broin: I have a quick supplementary question. Again, I have no issue with the second set of amendments. Does that mean with respect to the direction? If I am right, from the relevant sections of the ministerial direction, that can have immediate effect. Does this provision in any way change-----

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

Eoin Ó Broin: With, for example, the directions, if the direction is to stop doing a certain activity, this does not in any way impact on that.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: It is the period within which something has to be rectified. That period would then be elongated to take account of the length of time it takes to do the SEA or AA.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: Finally, on amendment No. 169, the Minister may remember that when he was on this side of the House with us, there was the legislation around the SEA and AA screening and the threshold for the screening. Is amendment No. 169 essentially consequent to that to take account of the fact not everything is SEA and AA?