Results 1,161-1,180 of 1,229 for speaker:Denis Landy

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: I warmly welcome yesterday's belated visit by Ms Arlene Foster to Government Buildings. It is very important that engagement takes place between our Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on how to deal with Brexit. I also welcome the setting up of the all-Ireland forum on the issue, which has already met for its first session. However, I am very disappointed that local government...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: The Senator should not downplay it.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: I welcome the Minister to the House. There are many positive proposals in this Bill. I welcome the proposal on the fast-tracking of environmental impact assessments for alleviation works in flood-risk areas. In his speech, I noted the Minister emphasised three times that a planning application for a major housing project can take 24 months. Before I conclude, I will give an example of one...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: As elected members it will be.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: The Minister might clarify the matter. If someone from An Bord Pleanála visits Kilsheelan in County Tipperary from Dublin to review an application involving in excess of 100 houses, the lack of local knowledge poses a major problem. Whatever about the resources that the Minister has stated are being invested, if one does not have local knowledge, one does not have local knowledge. The...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: The proposal will have no benefit. According to figures from a recent survey undertaken by Fingal County Council, there was no lack of applications or delay in issuing decisions. From January to August of 2016, there was a 16.6% increase in the volume of planning applications compared with 2015. The council received 822 planning applications, of which 758 were deemed valid, and made 850...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: What about the High Court?

Seanad: Protection of Employment (Uncertain Hours) Bill 2016: Second Stage (16 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: Those who are from Connolly do not have to claim Connolly.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: On the same point and because of what has just been said, perhaps the Acting Chairman might provide us with some support. We did not get an opportunity to examine which amendments are going to be discussed with each other. As a result, the Acting Chairman might talk us through it a little bit slower than normal.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: I thank the Minister for coming before the House today. On Second Stage, I asked the Minister a specific question. In his opening address, he used a timescale of two years or 24 months repeatedly, obviously to emphasise, in his opinion, the delays in the process. I asked the him to provide the evidence for that, just as Senator Ó Clochartaigh has now also requested it. I have the...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: Okay. I stand corrected. If we were to tackle the reasons those permissions are not being moved on, we would deal with much of this problem. We all know that people are waiting for the turkey to get fatter. I think this issue is being approached from the wrong angle. This proposal is an attack on local democracy and a charter for developers. The developers are rubbing their hands in...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: I will try to be brief. Lest there be any misunderstanding I put on record again that I welcome the Minister and what he is trying to do. If there was an inference, and I am not saying there was, that because we do not agree with everything in the Bill, we do not want to solve the housing problem, nothing could be further from the truth. We might be approaching the issue in a different...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: It was not disorganised either.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: I listened very closely to the Minister's evidence and I have it listed here. There were 15 decisions made by An Bord Pleanála on developments in excess of 100 units. The average length of time it took to get a decision was 78 weeks. There needs to be a further breakdown of that figure. Anecdotally and evidentially, the biggest delay in any planning application, whether it is for one...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: Fifty next year. Okay. Let us say two per local authority. Why can these not be dealt with by one or two specialist members of staff within the local authority? In that way, we could forget about this whole process of fast-tracking through An Bord Pleanála. The evidence that the Minister has provided needs further scoping. I will not say that it does not stand up because that would...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: On a point of order, could the Minister clarify the word "opportunity" for councils? It is critical.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: I apologise.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: I do not intend to continue to ask the same questions. I will ask once more. We did not get clarity on the evidence provided by the Minister for An Bord Pleanála. How exactly will councils have input? Will it be as suggested in the amendment, in which the Minister indicated he might accept input via statutory meeting? I welcome the fact the Minister met the Association of Irish...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: I asked about the evidence base.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2016)

Denis Landy: I am anxious to move on as well.