Results 5,281-5,300 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I would not have thought so either. It would not make sense. I thank Deputy Cian O'Callaghan. I call Senator John Cummings, if he wishes to come in on this third round of questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I am sure it is. I have the next slot. This question is directed to Dr. McGoff, who has attended the committee previously during our meetings on water quality. Does she think there is enough in this planning legislation as proposed to give enough protection to water quality, to our environment and to biodiversity? Are there ways we could strengthen it? I know we have a whole load of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Is there scope to improve the consideration that must be given to things like tree protection, hedgerow protection and other vital things that are missing from the planning Act? There is scope to do that. I know we should do it and they are sort of peripheral, but it is not set down that such conditions can be applied to a consent.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: There is very little protection for urban trees once development has been granted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Once has to dig deep into the development to find the tree preservation orders. They should be separate.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: There is scope in this regard. When the plan was originally written in 2000, we were not aware of the climate and biodiversity crisis. Now, 20 years on, we have a lot more knowledge. We can strengthen that. It is important that people are aware of those local sites of importance. That is not about curtailing development but, rather, focusing the mind when the area is being developed. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Only by judicial review-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: That is something we want to avoid as one of the principles behind the Bill.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I apologise to Ms Uí Bhroin but we are well over time, so if she could be concise.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: There are many questions there that are unanswered because the clarity is not there in the Bill. There is a section there which states there is an administrative costs scheme to be introduced.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: It highlights the fact that this is not a complete piece of legislation at the moment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I want to go back to correcting any error of law. It was said that what exists at the moment is the quash and remit, in other words, we put our hands up, admit we made a mistake, and it is a case of quash and remit. If we were going back to a 16-week decision process, we could say that is not a massive penalty to pay. In fact, with the quash and remit, is it going back into An Bord...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Can I come in again briefly? The planning applications can be incredibly complex. They can pull in so many different strands that a planner, inspector or board member has to consider that I have no doubt issues can be missed or mistakes made. Do we need to have a level of significance in that mistake? A planning decision is not like a mathematical equation. There is subjectivity in what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: The problem is you can end up waiting another 52 weeks for the board to kick off the process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Again, it is about resources. We need proper resources, first, to make good decisions, and second, to be able to deal with quash and remit in a timely manner. However, is there scope for something more than 146A allows but something that is a lot less than the words "substantive" or "legally significant"? Is there room for something here that is not to the same extent as what is written?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: A very low percentage of planning decisions are judicially reviewed but a very high percentage of those that are, are upheld.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: That brings us to the end of this session. I thank all the witnesses for their participation today. It has been really helpful. We will have another meeting on Thursday with the Bar Society and the Law Society and no doubt we will tease out further aspects of the law then. We intend to produce our pre-legislative scrutiny report on this by the end of March. If there is supplementary...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Maternity Leave (1 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: 131. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding a survey carried out by his Department that was sent to Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas in relation to the provision of maternity leave for Members (details supplied); if he will provide the parameters of the research and results; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Funding (2 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: 61. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider establishing a fund for registered cancer support groups that would allow for the purchase of an electric vehicle, to be administered in a similar way to a scheme (details supplied) to transport clients to hospital appointments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10268/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Charges (2 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: 296. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding hospital parking charges for groups (details supplied); if a free parking pass system will be considered that would reduce the financial burden on these voluntary groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10685/23]