Results 4,001-4,020 of 8,073 for speaker:Peter Burke

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: One of the earliest priorities for Minister O'Brien and I was to secure exchequer funding to support a waiver of commercial rates for businesses impacted by the pandemic, while simultaneously supporting local authorities. €900m was allocated by Government to fund the cost of a rates waiver from 27 March to 27 December 2020. This meant that for eligible businesses their commercial...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 152 together. Minister O'Brien brought a Memorandum to Government yesterday (13 July 2021), accompanied by a General Scheme of a Planning and Development (Amendment) (LSRD) Bill 2021 (the General Scheme), outlining proposals for the replacement of the current planning arrangements in respect of Strategic Housing Developments (SHDs) with new...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: I am happy to confirm there is no change to the planning requirements. All the safeguards in terms of safety and basic metrics for road-opening licences will still apply. One of the concerns that had been raised by the County and City Management Association is that there is a duplicate process here in terms of double charging. Second, the intention is to speed up the plan. While it is not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: Deputy Higgins raises very valuable points in terms of remote working. The blended approach we are trying to achieve will give citizens a better quality of life in future. We must take opportunities out of every crisis, try to put them to best use, and underwrite citizens going forward to give them a better quality of life and more time with their families in a more blended approach in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: Absolutely. It is linked back to the municipal district. All the municipal districts throughout the country have an adjudication process for issuing a section 254 licence and, as I said, we still have to go through the same adjudication process for road safety, protected structures and environmental issues. All those robust practices would still remain in place.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: I have not heard any concerns about that but Mr. Loughlin and Mr. Neary might be able to offer an additional assurance on that issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: I hear the Cathaoirleach's point but I would just point out that the local authorities have to keep these key considerations in the development management process. They are not going to let overhead cables go all through our towns. They will be managing that process and they have the right to refuse the licence if it does not meet good practice.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: I would be very happy to include that in the circular for the regulations. The Senator is a very strong advocate of trusting local authorities and he quite rightly pointed out they will be adjudicating on the record of protected structures. We do not want any protected structure to be compromised in any shape or form. We will absolutely take the Senator's comments on board and I would be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Deputy. Each licence is adjudicated on by the municipal district or local authority. Essentially, they have the right to put conditions in the particular site in question for each licence to safeguard the public interest and good in terms of the taxpayer. We are not changing that process, so to speak. As I said to the Senator Boyhan, we will include additional guidance in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: Underground is dealt with in section 53 of the Communications Regulation Act. We are dealing with overground. That is where the licences will be in question. There is no proposed change to any road opening or opening up of public roadways.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Senator for her questions. She quite rightly pointed out that we are covering 96% of the State. One can see in terms of a public infrastructure project the scale of what we are trying to do, and do it as quickly as possible for the benefit of everyone. As the Senator quite rightly pointed out, there are four municipal districts, on average, in every local authority area....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: The Deputy raised a valid point. We have €116 billion in Project Ireland 2040 through our national development plan to underwrite many key public infrastructural investments that we need. Our planning code is under review in terms of how to best deliver this public infrastructure through our local authorities. There have been difficulties in the past but we want to make sure those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: Absolutely. I was referring to other large-scale public infrastructure, not the national broadband plan, just in case anyone was starting to get worried. Guidelines were issued through the local authorities last May. We see this as an operation to speed up, not to have double charging in place and to provide certainty to National Broadband Ireland as it goes about interacting with the 31...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: I would be cautious about straying out of my brief in terms of the national broadband plan so----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: Between that and road-opening licences, we are in the area of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. I do not want to say something for fear of not having the knowledge.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: No problem.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: We are keen to see that project progress. As the Deputy says, Edgeworthstown is such a key town in Longford and has grown so much over the past number of years that we need to see certainty there. I would absolutely commit to working with the Deputy in that regard. This highlights the issue in terms of the just transition of certainty. The just transition commissioner, Mr. Kieran Mulvey,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: That is a key point. I also met with the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, this morning in respect of the disability sector regarding unintended consequences in relation to outdoor furniture. We will be reminding local authorities of their responsibilities in that regard, not to inhibit business but to be respectful of citizens who are more vulnerable in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank the Cathaoirleach and members for affording me this opportunity to present to the committee today on this set of proposed planning regulations. The regulations consist of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021. Section 254 licences are required for the laying of overground electronic communications...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Act 2000 (Section 254 – Overground Telecommunication Cables) Regulations 2021: Motion (14 Jul 2021)

Peter Burke: I thank Deputy Flaherty for his comments. He is correct in his concerns about the funding structure for local authorities. We are working very strongly with Longford County Council and other key local authorities that were affected by the just transition. We are trying to ensure there is a solid income stream to replace the key revenues they have lost. The Department is dealing with...