Results 1,641-1,660 of 2,988 for speaker:James O'Connor

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: -----John who has an issue with his next door neighbour's extension.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: How does An Bord Pleanála differentiate in the context of what needs to be prioritised? Is it about where they are in a queue? Can Ms Buckley say that, within the organisational structure, she can go in and has the capacity and decision-making ability now to be able to differentiate between the smaller cases, dare I say, nimbyism, versus that of large-scale housing development that is...

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: It is as much about the objector as it is about the person in that process. I genuinely believe it is a point worth making given the context of where we are right now today where there are tens of thousands of units-----.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: How many fines did An Bord Pleanála have to pay in 2021 or the previous year?

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: That gives an indication of just how big a problem it is and gives context to it

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: Ms Buckley is relatively new to her role. I do not want to be overly critical, but I want to tease this out. It is deeply helpful for us in the Oireachtas to know what is going on.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: An Bord Pleanála hopes to get from a processing rate of 90, as Ms Buckley said, up to about 300 per month.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: That includes everything, not just the new housing estates or the new Department development statistics. It is back to the nitty-gritty.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: Perhaps it needs to be legislated for. Ms Buckley made reference to that. Is there a system or a way of segregating new housing developments from individual planning complaints and concerns so they are not all in one bundle? Having all those developments lodged in with the small-scale issues is to me unacceptable. I cannot see from a financial point of view how that stacks up or...

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: I would love to get a definitive answer on that point.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: I do not take away from that. Obviously, staffing is the issue. Did Ms Buckley said the board had gone to 209 staff?

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: From what?

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: In terms of the proportion of work that has come before the board, that is nowhere need where it needs to be.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: On the interaction between An Bord Pleanála and the Office of the Planning Regulator, OPR, I understand, from my limited time in local government and from people I speak to with vastly more political experience in the area of planning, that there is a concern that the OPR has a growing and growing remit. In this year’s round of county development plans, it intervened in the draft...

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: If the Department wants to comment, it would be welcome.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: Why, at draft stage of the plans, are submissions now being made by the OPR when that has not happened before? That is new, to my understanding.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: Does Mr. Hogan accept that when the OPR makes a statement on a matter, it is challenging for the local authority to contest it? It has to go before the courts. It is extremely costly. Members elected to the local authority - and pretty much the democratic aspect of the planning process - are sidelined by that action.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: Does Mr. Hogan not feel the OPR’s remit and interventions are growing?

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: There are several sites across the country of which I am aware which are effectively serviced but cannot be built on because the OPR has come in and said “No”.

Public Accounts Committee: An Bord Pleanála - Financial Statements 2021 (27 Apr 2023)

James O'Connor: My final comment is this: the local knowledge aspect, I find, is being removed because the OPR steps in at national level and directs local authority members on how they should conduct their affairs and business. Maybe other members will take that up because my time is up and I do not want to wind down anyone else’s time.