Results 4,101-4,120 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Professor O'Cinneide. We are almost out of time on that slot. The witnesses can briefly answer the question from Senator Fitzpatrick or if they wish to take more time we can return to it. We will get an opportunity to do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: We will return to it. I would like to hear more on it and I do not want to rush the witnesses. Although that slot has finished, I assure Senator Fitzpatrick that we will return to the practical examples later.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I will take the next slot. I will expand on that line of questioning and ask about the practical applications of this. Many people will wonder how a referendum on housing is going to affect them or whether they want a house. They will also consider whether they are concerned about private property rights. The matter can be broken down in that way. What barriers or impediments are there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: Will Ms Kelly-Desmond give a practical example of that chilling effect in an area of housing we are familiar with?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I am sorry to keep interrupting but this is important. Were those Private Members' Bills?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I have other questions, but I see Professor O'Cinneide nodding in agreement with what Mr. Stanley said. Does he wish to expand on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I will return to the Home for Good representatives very briefly. They may not have to answer but they can come back to me on the next round. When they were before the committee previously, we referred the wording they suggested to the Department and asked for engagement on it. Have they had engagement on it, or any sense of how that wording is being received or considered?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: The Deputy might put that suggestion in writing. I do not have any problem with the committee engaging with the commission on this and getting further information.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: Very briefly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank the Senator. Deputy Ó Broin is taking the second Sinn Féin slot.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Right to Housing: Discussion (5 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: Okay. I thank Deputy Ó Broin. We go now to Deputy McAuliffe.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: We continue our engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the review and consolidation of planning legislation. I welcome back to the committee Ms Maria Graham, assistant secretary, planning division; Ms Mary Jones, principal officer; Mr. Eugene Waters, assistant principal officer, planning review section; and Mr. Colin Ryan, senior planning adviser. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: We have covered four subject areas so far, namely, forward planning, development consent, enforcement and planning bodies. Today we will deal with environmental assessments in the planning system. Ms Graham mentioned judicial reviews for autumn time. That will be discussion number 6. Will we cover further headings or subject matter?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: The committee, as ever, will be interested in participating in that when the material is available, at whatever stage in the process is best. I note from Ms Graham's opening statement that the Department only met on Monday on this module. I was looking through the membership of the advisory forum. I note that the Dublin Democratic Planning Alliance has written to the Minister of State,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Deputy Ó Broin. Deputy Higgins is next.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: Do you wish to comment on that briefly, Ms Graham?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I will take the next slot. The EU directives that we have and that we have transposed into law are there to protect the environment and our health and are there for our protection. They are often held up as a reason for things not happening. I think we have become slightly disconnected from the purpose of those directives. Sometimes people get caught up in saying nothing can happen...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I would like to make a recommendation for the dissemination of information at the various different levels where it is required. If one reads a court judgment, one sees that it is fairly or highly complex. I have tried to read a good few of them. The executive summary aspect could just go out to the general public as well, so they would know that such a development failed or that something...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: An Bord Pleanála is bound by the time element. It cannot extend it to give more time. If more resources or expertise are provided, it can meet that requirement within that timeframe. Is that more or less the thought process?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: Sure. The first question I asked about the feedback and the learning would feed into that as well. It would highlight a step in the process where consistent mistakes were made or a mistake was made. This is not to blame anybody but it is a complex process.