Results 4,541-4,560 of 7,187 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I want to comment on the group of amendments. I commend Deputy Matthews on introducing his amendments, whose thrust I strongly support. There is no question that there is an absolutely compelling case for sustainable public transport in planning and development. Building transport-oriented communities is what we should be doing. New housing developments, affordable housing and all other...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I appreciate the exchange so far. I would like to know why, on the public record, amendment No. 794 on providing for electric vehicle parking and charging systems and for centrally located sheltered secure bicycle and e-bike parking is not being accepted. The lack of provisions around the charging systems for electric vehicles is a live issue that is affecting people in communities across...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: To clarify, the Minister of State has not addressed amendments Nos. 136 and 410 yet. Are they being discussed later or shall I speak to them now?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Has the Minister of State addressed amendments Nos. 136 and 410 in his opening contribution?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: He has not yet. Has he addressed amendment No. 201?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: No. I will speak on amendment No. 201 seeing as Deputy Ó Broin has, if that is okay?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I will speak to amendment No. 136, and also to amendment No. 201. On amendment No. 136 specifically, Ireland declared a biodiversity emergency in 2019. Given the habitat loss and fragmentations from the main drivers of biodiversity loss in Ireland, this should be an objective of the national planning framework alongside the other objectives here to protect, enhance and, indeed, restore our...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I welcome that. The real difficulty I have is that the time on Report Stage could be highly limited. We want to ask questions about, comment on and improve what the Minister of State comes forward with. It may simply be timed out on us. The Government usually guillotines Report Stage, which means there are only two, three or four hours when we need much longer. We probably will not even...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I will keep this short. I have no issue if the Minister of State comes to Report Stage with measures to improve this Bill and these provisions to bring them into line with the national biodiversity action plan. That is great and I am very supportive of that. That does not mean that the wording I proposed cannot be adopted now. There is an absolute omission in the Bill. There are no...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: That was amendment No. 136, but I was also speaking to amendment No. 201, which is similar. It was mainly amendment No. 136, however.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Will the Minister of State be back here at 6 p.m.?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Before we break can I ask a very short question which is very relevant?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Can we go for another few minutes while we have the Minister of State here? Is that okay?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I welcome the Minister of State's commitment to address this. The amendments we brought forward do not just talk about protecting and conserving biodiversity. They also, very importantly, refer to enhancing biodiversity and restoration. Will the Minister of State give us a commitment that when he brings the Bill back on Report Stage, it will not just refer to protecting and conserving...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: In regard to amendment No. 410 I struggle to see what the unintended consequences of our amendment would be. It is clear and straightforward. SAAOs are very important. Having them listed here in the obligation to prepare a strategy for conservation of natural and built heritage is an omission. It is missing. We are correcting this flaw in the Bill. What could be the unintended...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: This is quite a distinct section of the Bill. It is literally just listing the obligations for preparing strategies for conservation. It is listing this as one of the areas. I cannot see how it impacts on other parts of the Bill.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, but I do not see-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, and we are putting forward the case that it is the appropriate place to put it. I am confused by the explanation that there could be a conflict between amenity areas and conservation areas, so-----