Results 501-520 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: I am not sure the Department has received the submission from Killian Woods so the witnesses from the Department may not be able to comment on it. We can make sure the submission goes to them and they can write back with answers to the first two questions. I do not know if the Department has seen that submission.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: The Deputy can ask but I do not know if the witnesses from the Department will be able to answer because they may not have seen it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: We are just out of time in that slot. I call Deputy Murnane O'Connor. Is she sharing time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: I ask that she stick to the five minutes. If we can get straight to questions, then we can get straight to answers and that would be very helpful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: We are well over time in that slot so we now move to Deputy Gould.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: We will not be having live planning applications here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: I have some fairly straightforward questions and the witnesses can answer them briefly, if possible. It has always been my understanding that An Bord Pleanála has to have regard to a county development plan and, therefore, can make a decision that the local authority might be more confined on, as the board has scope to make decisions outside of that, and not just regarding SHDs. Is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: With regard to use it or lose it, I do not consider that to be a strong enough deterrent. If planning has been granted on a site and we introduce legislation whereby one can lose that planning permission, a subsequent planning permission will often look at the planning history. There has been a planning application for it that has been granted, so the planning history will be considered....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: Would you consider use it or lose it to be a strong deterrent to get somebody to commence a planning application?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: If a planning permission is granted up to February 2022 for a SHD, I understand the applicant would have five years to commence it. There is generally a five year window for it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: In fact, SHDs could commence at any time within five years after February 2022 once they have been granted permission. In terms of transport planning, we often see high-density applications cite access to public transport. Often that public transport might be a quite irregular bus service or a meandering bus service that does not serve the site well at all. How much scope is there for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: A lot of the applications I have seen for SHDs have often gone in with a much higher density than would be zoned in the development plan. There is nothing wrong with higher densities, and we are aware that we have to move to higher densities to provide services, but with higher densities one has to ensure provision of services and the provision of good, open public space that is well...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: In the 29% of permissions that are activated, this means they commenced construction. It does not necessarily mean they are populated and that people are living in them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: Is 29% a low figure, say if we were to take ordinary section 34 applications that go in under other planning applications?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: We might get that figure from the Department. The figure of 29% is the activation figure for most planning permissions over that time. I am out of time now and will move on now, to be fair to other members, for further second round questions. I apologise to Deputy Higgins who should have been before me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: We move now to Senator Boyhan in the Independent slot. If we stick tightly to the time we will get around to everyone again.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: The next speaker is Deputy Cian O'Callaghan. We will get the speakers in if we limit contributions to approximately four minutes apiece.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: I thank Senator Moynihan. Unfortunately-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: We are just out of time on Senator Moynihan's slot, so there is no time to answer those questions but-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Strategic Housing Developments: Discussion (10 Nov 2020)

Steven Matthews: Yes. I must then bring in the third slot. I ask Senator Fitzpatrick to keep it to three minutes. If we can do question answer and question answer, we will not end up with a load of questions and no time for answers. It might be the handiest thing to do.