Results 3,501-3,520 of 7,183 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: We have also been told some of these processes can be useful in getting certainty around things and can in the long term decrease workload and resource demands. When we talk of someone who has no interest in the land, is that basically someone who has no ownership of the land? I could have interest in something as someone in the local community or a neighbour, but if it is restricted in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: The owner or someone with the explicit, written consent of the owner, absolutely, but not anyone else. It mentions prescribed bodies, I think.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: Under this a neighbour cannot.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: They are explicitly prohibited under this, which seems to me quite restrictive.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: Exempted development is an important part of the planning process and having clarity around and confidence in it is important. We may arrive at a point in the future where it is clearer what is an exempted development. It might be capable of being expanded and involve fewer resources in planning areas if there was clarity. Restricting the ability to have clarity on that can undermine...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Priorities (7 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: 12. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the economic policy unit of his Department. [11540/23]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (8 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: 12. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the Government's response to Ireland's Competitiveness Challenge 2022. [11541/23]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Economic Policy (8 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: One of the issues identified as a barrier to our competitiveness is the lack of housing people can afford. With regard to the Government's decision to lift the ban on evictions, is the Taoiseach aware that in most European countries tenants who pay their rent cannot be evicted? Ireland is now in the unique position of having some of the highest rents in Europe and some of the lowest...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: To follow up on that, the Mahon tribunal report, which Mr. Mandal referenced, states, "The Tribunal is concerned at the extent of the Minister’s powers in the planning system as a whole" and lists concerns about the Minister being heavily involved in the national development plan, the national spatial strategy, regional policy guidelines, development plans and so forth. Obviously, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank Mr. Mandal for the answer. I do not want him to identify any individuals or go into any specifics but he said earlier that people might be intimidated out of taking a judicial review. Can he give us some insight into that? When he talks about intimidation, what are we talking about? What types of intimidation is it or what sort of form does that take?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: I do not think we should get into specifics. I just want to talk about this generally with regard to the legislation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: Could Mr. Mandal explain in general terms how that arises in respect of planning and judicial reviews?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: In his opening statement, Mr. Mandal said, "We see the further exclusion of the citizen combined with the strengthening of centralised power as a threat not just to the rule of law and the separation of powers but also to democracy itself, which we feel could lead to social instability." That is a very strong statement. We are rightly very quick in this Oireachtas to criticise issues around...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank Ms Kimber.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (9 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: 84. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will take action to ensure that corporate landlords are not using additional charges on top of rent to circumvent rent pressure zone regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12056/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (9 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: There are clear data that the biggest driver of homelessness is people losing their tenancy in the private rental sector. When they get an eviction notice, that is a clear driver. What is the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, going to do about charges on top of rent that some companies are applying to renters as a way of circumventing rent regulation laws?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (9 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank the Minister of State for the response. It is a pity that, generally, the senior Minister, Deputy O'Brien, does not answer my questions during priority and oral parliamentary questions, while he does so for other Opposition spokespeople. Specifically on this issue, rents in Ireland are among the highest in Europe. Security for renters, especially after the Government's decision...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rental Sector (9 Mar 2023)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I will do that and have done so on foot of these parliamentary questions before, but I actually want the system to be fixed. The experience is poor in terms of saying to people to go to the RTB and that it might like into it. The RTB is under-resourced and is not able to deal with this. It does not have the capacity. We need the system to be...