Results 6,341-6,360 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: I call Deputy Ó Broin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: I will take the second Green Party slot. This question is to the OPR. Its submission states: More than a fifth of all new homes are made up of individual houses in areas dependant on the private car. This makes achieving our transport targets very challenging. Does Ms O'Connor put that down to local policies within county development plans, or where does she see the root cause of that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: There is also the social impact. Elderly people living in those areas may not be able to rely on a car anymore and they become stranded. I know people in that position. My second question is on district heating. If a local authority in a local area or county development plan wanted to put in an objective that a site should be served by district heating systems, do they have sufficient...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: Okay, so one recommendation could be that if a local authority wants to start putting in objectives for district heating systems in certain zones or areas, it will need better national guidance on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: I was told we do not have district heating. There are examples, but they are communal heating systems and not necessarily district heating systems. There is a very big difference. I attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action to hear about the Danish example of district heating. I have a question for the NTA. We have talked before about whether a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: It is around permeability and trying to increase walkability or cyclability. There might be two housing estates that are back to back and the kids never see each other because they must walk out onto the main road and around, which is dangerous because the road is busy. They are also driven to school, etc.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: I kind of agree with Mr. Creegan. If we went from door to door saying we are going to cut carbon emissions by doing this, we probably would not get very far, but recent surveys have shown that climate registers quite highly with people. It might be something to do, apart from telling people they can walk, cycle, etc., because there are loads of people who are so wedded to their car that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: Does the CCAC have a comment to make?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: We fund that significantly through the carbon tax and I think half the budget for retrofit is going towards warmer homes schemes and those on lower incomes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: The target is 7 GW, not 5 GW.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: That is only the first round of the auctions. The figure is 3.1 GW.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: Anyway, we will not get into offshore wind.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: Ms O'Connor wanted to come in on that and then I will go to Deputy Ó Broin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: Ms O'Connor wanted to come in on the carbon assessments.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: You can go parochial in the fourth round.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: I have a question for the Climate Change Advisory Council. A couple of comments today feed into the question of prioritisation of development. If there is too much zoning, how do we focus where development should take place? I think it was mentioned that, in some cases, settlement boundaries are very big. Is there a case for an inner boundary in a settlement? Instead of having compact...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: I am thinking about the urban area plans and a zone within a settlement where the highest densities would be concentrated because of transport or services.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: I had in mind that it would be done at local level because this is where the best knowledge is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: With regard to making the argument that it is easier and quicker to develop a greenfield site, we know this absolutely. It is a viable product now to build a three-bed semi-detached house on a greenfield site. With higher densities on a brownfield site and compact development, we start to get into price ranges where it-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review of National Planning Framework and Climate Targets: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Steven Matthews: It is important to clarify the difference between housing targets and zoning. I want to come back on a number of points and I have another question. With regard to the development contribution, do the balance between community gain versus how much is spent on roads need to be addressed? I note that water is out of it at present. Does this need to be considered to improve? If it is left...