Results 24,201-24,220 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: What did Senators and the Minister of State talk about? After the three-year period expires, there will be an option under the legislation for the Minister to extend the period for a further two years. The measure will be subject to lot of scrutiny to see whether it has been effective. There will be many opportunities for the Minister to attend debates in both Houses. I have been here...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Can I make a point of information?

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I believe there has been a genuine misunderstanding. Obviously, I respect the rulings of the Chair.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I will be brief on the amendment. I wish to be helpful because I know that there are rules that must be obeyed. I am happy that a review would take place and that it would be laid before the Oireachtas before any future Minister would make a decision to extend the period beyond three years. The review would be fully scrutinised, Deputy, or Senator, sorry.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I can assure Senators that I am not hiding from anything when it comes to the policies that we are bringing forward on housing. I do not see why the Department would not have a thorough independent review that is fully scrutinised by the Oireachtas and would not be happy to commit to that in legislation. That would be a perfectly normal procedure before a policy decision is extended....

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Yes.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I also see this as a use it or lose it clause and I support it. Again, the legal advice I have received on this amendment is to check the wording, because there is one element that we need to cover. If somebody does start building, but for some reason there is a problem, for example, if the estate is substantially completed and runs out of planning, what we do not want is a half-finished...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Yes. They are the only applications eligible for the streamlined process.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: We can accept the wording of the amendment as is, and if there is any problem we can come back on Tuesday and change it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: These are technical wording amendments. They do not change very much in the paragraphs which is why I was not going to spend much time on them. I can go through each amendment individually if the House wants but they are essentially technical wording amendments which do not change the meaning of the Bill.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Amendments Nos. 8, 9 and 15 collectively propose insertions relating to the considerations of universal design, sustainable development and accessibility to services as set out in section 52 of the Disability Act 2005. The concept of universal design centres on achieving a built environment that can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Absolutely. It refers to all new buildings, including all social housing. There are not as many new social housing units around as we would like but the number is increasing and there will be more next year. They are A-rated in terms of energy.The quality of the design in new social housing stock is very good. There is a financial cost to that but there are also quality-of-life and...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Part M requirements may be regarded as a statutory minimum level of provision. The accompanying technical guidance encourages building owners and designers to have regard to the design philosophy of universal design and to consider making additional provisions where it is practicable and appropriate to do so. There is a basic standard in the regulations and a guidance document that...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Is it something a planner needs to take into account in the context of the planning laws?

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: There is consistency in local area plans and county and city development plans in the context of zoning considerations, housing quality, design, open spaces and transportation. We might be getting into a tricky area if we add new criteria not contemplated in the planning laws to the planning application process and if we ask An Bord Pleanála to take new issues into account. We are...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I will come back to the Senator on that point.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: I can go into the technical details but these are minor wording changes. My understanding is that there is no change in the meaning of the legislation. These are technical amendments, if people are happy to trust me on that. I could go through the detail of it if they want.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Point taken, but we are trying to improve it all the time. That is why we are here.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: Section 8 sets out the actions the prospective applicant for a strategic housing development must take immediately before applying for planning permission for the project and the actions An Bord Pleanála and the planning authority concerned must take when such an application is made. Amendment No. 13 substitutes a new 8(4)(b) in the section relating to the report the planning authority...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2016)

Simon Coveney: This is the planning authority and councillors do not make planning decisions. We need to start to have an honest conversation here. Councillors have to be afforded an opportunity to have their say as representatives of the public, just like any member of the public should have an opportunity to make an objection or an observation to a planning application. Of course, we need to go beyond...