Results 20,941-20,960 of 26,350 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 524: In page 152, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: “(17) The Minister may prescribe a period or periods that shall be disregarded for the purposes of reckoning any period referenced in this section.”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 530: In page 154, after line 37, to insert the following: “Notices under section 11 of Act of 2000 67. Where a notice was given under section 11 of the Act of 2000 of the preparation of a new development plan before the repeal of Part II effected by section 6, that Part shall continue to apply and have effect on and after that repeal in relation to that notice,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: This group comprises amendments Nos. 635 to 639, inclusive, 653, 697 to 701, inclusive, and 705. Also included are amendments Nos. 531, 632 and 695 in the name of Deputy McAuliffe and amendment No. 718 in the name of Deputy Matthews. They propose to amend Chapter 5 of Part 3 which deals with development plan processes and insert a new section into the Chapter. I ask the Deputies to bear...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Amendment No. 632 proposes to amend section 84 which relates to the conditions that may be attached to a grant of permission. I am opposing this amendment as it may be appropriate to attach conditions to a grant of permission similar to the operational lifespan of a new wind energy development and enable the planning authority or an coimisiún pleanála to reassess the operation of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Sure. On the last point, I will get that information. I just do not have it to hand.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We have tried to give the committee information that might be useful for this evening. As regards the lifespan, there are two things. Going back a little as to whether someone should seek an extension to the existing lifespan of a wind farm, one of the reasons for that, looking back and not being here, was that there would be a situation where, say, an existing wind farm involved...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: A national planning policy will be introduced. That will be give the absolute clarity that is needed on Deputy Ó Broin's question. On Deputy's McAuliffe's point, where there is a condition of a grant of permission, it is a legal condition. The only way to alter it is with another application. I take his point but the guidelines in this regard, one would imagine, will become...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Cathaoirleach's understanding is absolutely correct. I intend to withdraw amendments Nos. 656 and 706 in order to further review their wording and resubmit them on Report Stage. However, the Cathaoirleach's understanding of what the process will be is precisely what is intended. As I said, I am withdrawing these amendments and will come back to them on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I can, yes. We dealt with the other amendments in that group that were substantive. I will get to the other amendments now. Amendments Nos, 635 to 639, inclusive; amendment No. 653, amendment Nos. 697 to 701, inclusive; and amendment No. 705 simply seek to improve the language of these provisions without changing the intent of the provision as already provided for in the Planning and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, absolutely.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: To put the situation in context, we have the ministerial action plan, which is providing additional resources across all our planning authorities, including the OPR, local authorities and what will be an coimisiún pleanála. The Deputy is correct that many of these roles are specialised and we have a job to do to ensure we increase the pool of talent through third-level education...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: However, any planning authority has to have regard to and work through guidelines that are issued. We are trying to ensure consistency of approach and certainty around the implementation of national policy. It is the same as setting a timeframe in respect of it. That is a reasonable thing to do. However, we will come back later on with the resources as best as we can.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In the context of all the things the Deputy, other members and I can think of, we have outlined in the Bill what the process will be in either allowing the Minister or the OPR, as I said, to initiate an assessment. It could be for an unforeseen circumstance, and it is better that the saver provision is there. I would not expect it to be widely used, but it could be for an unforeseen reason...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That is fine. You or I might not be able to foresee a circumstance here today, but we must at lease make provision. I do not see what the difficulty would be in the OPR, which is independent, being given the option of initiating an assessment a development plan. I do not envisage the OPR doing it that often, or maybe at all, but if I were to remove that option - I know it is not in the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank members for their contributions. This is balanced. I assure the Deputy that the Bill is not draconian. In no way or shape is there an intention to take councillors out of the process. I point him to section 65(1)(a) and (b) which contain the specific criteria which will be used. Paragraph (b) refers to where "it is necessary for the Government to take action as a matter of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We are speaking specifically about the amendment. I am conscious that Deputy Matthews is absent. We can go back and forth on this. A very high bar has been set here. It is certainly not a diminution of responsibilities for local authority members. I came from a local authority myself and I have a high regard for local authorities and the input local authority members have. That is why...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I know. I will answer the Deputy's question. Let me give it a bit of context here. The reality is that one cannot put that question in isolation. Asked in isolation, it is not given the context of when this event would occur. When such a situation would occur is clearly outlined in paragraphs (a) and (b). This would be potentially an extreme event where the State has to respond and a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will address those points and then I will conclude. I will not come back in again because I think I have made the point. Members should look at section 65(3). Deputy O’Callaghan referred to housing, and I was not being facetious. It reads "The purpose referred to in subsection (2) is to make provision for or in connection with a class of infrastructure or other development of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy McAuliffe for the amendments. I engaged with Wind Energy Ireland and spoke at its conference previously. Unquestionably, a great resource is already in place. If we go back to the 2006 wind energy guidelines, which set 20-year timelines, and I will come back to the Deputy's specific amendment on that, we can certainly do more. That is why it is not just about onshore but...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, I will. I made the point in my initial response to this grouping about how we will deal with developments that are deemed not to be Chapter 4 developments. I will work on that process and come back on Report Stage on that. Right now, I cannot accept the amendment but I take the point that it requires clarity in that space.