Results 3,641-3,660 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I am afraid we are out of time on this slot, but we will come back to Mr. James to answer those two questions from Deputy Ó Broin when we get an opportunity. We move now to the Fine Gael slot and Deputy Higgins.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I will take the next slot, which is a Green Party slot. I will start with the SCSI. In its submission, it talks about planning reform. CIF mentions planning and zoning as contributing to costs as well. Can our guests from the SCSI explain to me why planning is contributing to costs or what planning reform needs to be done?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I am sorry to interrupt. There are set statutory timeframes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: If you are planning a process, you know there is a five-week period and you know there is an appeals process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: We know there are delays with An Bord Pleanála that are hard to factor in. Is it just that delay with An Bord Pleanála because you know these-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: A small proportion of housing is subject to judicial review. We know why SHDs have been subject to a large number of judicial reviews but a very small amount of housing overall is subject to judicial review.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Does Ms Rocca think the fact that we have brought large-scale residential developments back to local authorities will assist with that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: We often hear about planning being the scapegoat and it gets blamed for everything, including the delays and expenses, and we are told it is the reason we do not have houses. I do not believe that because we have a good planning system. If we could get the timeframes right and if we did not have those excessive delays, surely the planning process could be factored into development proposals...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Quite rightly though.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I will move on to the zoning question, which Mr. Benson referred to. How does zoning impact on costs? I do not mind who wants to take that question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: If there is a delay in supplying infrastructure to zoned land and Mr. O'Connell says the CIF wants to zone more land, how will that speed up the delivery of utilities and services to that development?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: They are valid constraints.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Ecology, biodiversity, carbon and water quality-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: It is my experience from my time as a county councillor that we would have zoned land that would remain zoned through two plans and nobody goes near it to develop it so I do not believe that zoning more land is the solution. We have 80,000 extended planning permissions out there as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Often land that we know will not be serviced gets zoned as a result of a county development plan. Often the advice is not to zone that land but it still ends up getting zoned. We have difficulty with accountability in the planning system. I wish to ask about master planning. We need to encourage people to engage in the development plan process. Instead of just having vague colours on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I agree with that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: There is about one minute in the slot if there is a question in there that someone wishes to address.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Construction Costs in Housing: Discussion (24 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: There was a question on soft costs.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Legislative Measures (2 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: 18. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the consultation that he has held with social partners on the work life balance and miscellaneous provisions Bill 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28400/22]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Early Childhood Care and Education (2 Jun 2022)

Steven Matthews: 40. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated the number of my little library book bags that have been distributed to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28399/22]