Results 4,721-4,740 of 7,199 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Does the Minister of State want to respond specifically on amendment No. 129?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: To follow on from that, the development plan process at local government level is one of the most extensive parts of the democratic process. This applies in terms of the public consultation element of the development plans and, certainly, in terms of the meetings over many hours and weeks, and the multiple stages where councillors are involved, with thousands of amendments and a huge amount...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I do not accept the view that has been genuinely put forward by the Minister of State that this is a very democratic process. A consultation process is no substitute for a democratic process.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: In the context of a development plan, a democratic process involves public consultation where everyone can put in their views, councillors tabling amendments, debates and votes on all of those amendments and full scrutiny of every aspect of the development plan. This would happen across multiple stages over the course of more than a year. Having a consultation process whereby the only...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: On amendment No. 171 on the national planning framework, subsequent to Deputy Ó Broin's comments, I would like to know why the Government, in terms of this planning Bill, is not accepting in full the recommendations of the Mahon tribunal. Why is it departing from them? Is it a Government decision to depart from the recommendations of the Mahon tribunal? Until this point it was my...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Section 20C(8) states: The Government shall submit the draft of the revised or new National Planning Framework together with the environmental report and appropriate assessment report for the approval of each House of the Oireachtas before it is published.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, and this has now been dropped from this Bill.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: That was my question as well. I am seeking to know the rationale for this change. When we compare the 2000 Act to this Bill, what is the exact rationale for taking away the role of the Oireachtas as outlined in the 2000 Act and changing it in the Bill? What has given rise to this decision? We have had a very extensive process with the Mahon tribunal in terms of its recommendations. It...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: We have asked for the rationale a few times. The Minister of State has now given it. The rationale is to bring in the Oireachtas at an earlier stage. However, section 20C of the 2000 Act states: The Government shall submit the draft of the revised or new National Planning Framework, together with the Environmental Report and Appropriate Assessment Report for the approval of each House of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Section 21(4), which the Minister of State just quoted. Under the 2000 Act, the Oireachtas is involved earlier than what is proposed in section 21(4) here, which is later. The Minister of State's rationale for these changes is that they will bring the Oireachtas in earlier but, if you compare the 2000 legislation with this Bill, it is clear that the Oireachtas will be brought in later under...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Will the Minister of State please explain to us how it is earlier when, in fact, the 2000 legislation provides for earlier involvement and this Bill provides for involvement at a later stage and in a reduced role?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I am sorry. I am not saying it. I am saying it is what is in the 2000 Act.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: The rationale does not stack up in light of the 2000 Act. The Minister of State is telling us that this provision means earlier engagement with the Oireachtas but I do not see how it does.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: First, I wish to follow up on what I was saying on amendment No. 171 because I had not concluded on it. The Minister of State compared section 21(4) of this Bill with section 20C(8) of the amended 2000 Act to try to make the case that it meant earlier engagement. However, the relevant section to have compared section 21(4) with is section 20C(9). I will simply read it. Section 21(4) of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I had one final question on that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: In the context of amendment No. 605, I am interested in balanced regional development and making sure we get the right housing types in the right locations. Could this impact national objectives in that area? To give an example, I refer to a situation where the housing growth targets are aligned with areas where we want to see development taking place and where we want to see housing being...