Results 5,821-5,840 of 7,200 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I have a second question. Say an environmental NGO is taking a case, for example, and the State is on the other side. The State is able to apportion whatever resources it wants to defend its side of the case. The State then, through this scheme, is able to dictate the resources available to the other applicant in the procedure. Is there not an imbalance here that the State can put as much...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: The Minister of State is saying it should not be a problem that the State will be making a contribution to the costs. The current arrangement is not perfect but a no-foal, no-fee basis means applicants with a strong case can get access to strong legal representation, whereas the Minister of State is just talking about the State making a contribution towards costs. Some may have access to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Is it the Minister of State's view that these changes will result in the taking of more judicial reviews?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: He said marginal cases that otherwise would not be taken will be taken.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Does that not mean-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Therefore, the Minister of State is saying he believes the changes will lead to more judicial reviews and that marginal cases that would otherwise not be taken will be taken.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: On the level playing field-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: To be fair, we have had a good discussion and I am just about to conclude, so we might as well-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I am asking about the level playing field. The current system means there is a basis for people to get decent legal representation, whereas under the Bill the level of legal representation could be reduced. I am concerned about how level the playing field will be. Although the Minister of State is telling me there will be a level playing field, how could it be the case if most people will...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I just want to raise one issue on that. It is relevant to amendment No. 956. Amendment No. 979 seeks to address two points, one of which I referred to when discussing a previous amendment. I referred to the notification of the public. The second mistake I am trying to correct concerns the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union on 15 March 2018 on North East Pylon Pressure...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I have a few questions on amendment No. 965. I will deal with those and then move on quickly to amendment No. 966. Amendment No. 965 reads: "In page 446, to delete lines 8 and 9." That is the requirement for an environmental NGO membership to be ten or more members in order to access justice through JR. In terms of the threshold on membership here, this is the section on sufficient...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I do not see how this specifically stops misuse and abuse because if someone wanted to abuse the system they could gather together 11 people. There are some very good environmental NGOs that do not necessarily have ten members or are established as a company. I have previously given the example that you could have an excellent environmental NGO with ten members. As happens in organisations...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I do not expect the Minister of State to have all of the answers to these things straight off, especially when he has just arrived from Topical Issues in the Dáil.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Was an analysis done of thresholds in other European countries?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Are there thresholds in every other European country?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Will the Minister of State share that analysis with the committee?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: How and where is that going to be determined?