Results 20,201-20,220 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will be really quick rather than leave that hanging. I will mention couple of things and I will endeavour to be brief. To deal with Deputy Ó Snodaigh's point, we might look again at chapter 1 of Part 7 on page 403. I would contest that it is well covered there in having "regard to the overall housing needs of the population of its functional area". The national planning statement...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am just saying we have to be an-chúramach faoi sin because there is an equality aspect to it as well. It is one island and one country. There are differences within it. I have seen it on the ground. I have seen how it is being managed with local authorities that have been interested, but we have got to be careful in that regard as well. We may be putting one person ahead of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I know that; I am just saying that is the complexity.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will mention a couple of things we are doing. As I said to Deputy Ó Cathasaigh earlier with regard to the affordable housing, we are well advanced in An Rinn. That is working well. I see the affordable housing fund being utilised there. The ratios with regard to Údarás na Gaeltachta and its ability to be able to sell land is something that is being worked through. The...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: With regard to holiday homes or homes that are not used all year round, I know from friends of mine who are in the Gaeltacht that many of those are family homes of people who have returned to the area. There have been far too many, I get that too, but they are homes. It is not just to say these are people coming from the Gaeltacht or from Germany or France. Many of those homes the Deputy...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Níl.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Údarás na Gaeltachta is doing work in conjunction with it. Thankfully, we are seeing, as Deputy Ó Snodaigh stated earlier, an increase of investment in jobs in Gaeltacht areas. That is happening because of the work of Údarás na Gaeltachta in conjunction with our local authorities. As I said, the economic strategy is central to any development plan. We will add the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Sorry, it is amendments Nos. 430 and 431. As I said, for clarification and to correct the record, both amendments relate to the publication of notices relating to development plans. That is provided for under section 10 of the Official Languages Act, but I will see if we can do anything additional on Report Stage. We just need to look into it a little more. That is all.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That amendment relates to the same issue. These subgroups are informal.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Amendment No. 390 is listed in this overall group. It is something we will look at. It relates to discussions on the priority area plans we had earlier. Amendments Nos. 430 and 431 are slightly different.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I give a commitment that I will look at that in advance of Report Stage.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: A range of matters has been discussed, many of which were discussed earlier. It is my firm belief that the priority area plans are the way to go. Let us remember that our Gaeltacht areas are within county administrative areas. Deputy Ó Broin made a point about equality of access, particularly to social housing. We know of cases where local authorities, in granting planning permission...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy did but I am not going to confirm it. I have discussed this to see how to do it. I know the Deputy was just giving examples but assigning a medical-type priority is problematic. We have to operate within EU law. There is a way of doing this by focusing development where we need it. A clear desire I have is to make sure we have legislative underpinning that will help...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Priority area plans are to ensure that the local authority gives priority to the planning of that Gaeltacht area. We are not talking about priority around social housing allocation. I know the Deputy knows that but at this moment in time, a development plan takes place - I do not know if the Deputy met Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann, for argument's sake.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: He understands the issues it has. If you are on Toraigh or Árainn Mhór, you are treated, effectively, like the rest of County Donegal. That is the issue. The unique nature and characteristics of that area are not taken into account. I want to make sure there are specific plans for those areas for the first time. There is a lot of potential in that because you are working with...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: To be helpful, and I will conclude on this, these plans will be plans for those areas. They will be part of the development plan, with a specific focus on them. I cannot think of anything better than that, actually, to be able to drive the needed development.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Mine will be better so I am not accepting this one. There are only so many ways in which I can say "Ní féidir liom an leasú seo a ghlacadh".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will list the amendments for members' information. We are proposing to deal with amendments. Nos. 319, 322, 325, 326, 332, 341, 347, 352, 386, 387, 388, 423, 425 and 428. Those amendments were tabled by Deputies Ó Broin, Gould and Ó Snodaigh. Amendment No. 343 was tabled by Deputies O'Callaghan, Ó Cathasaigh, Ó Broin, Gould and Ó Snodaigh. The last two in this...