Results 2,241-2,260 of 6,937 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: The specific question I asked is whether it is the case that under the 2000 Act most of the regulations would have required approval by a resolution of both Houses of the Oireachtas whereas under this provision, that safeguard is not in place for most regulations.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: To finish out on this, am I correct in saying that the 2000 Act required a resolution?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I am suggesting it is not the same. The 2000 Act required a resolution to be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, which is a key safeguard. This legislation does not require a resolution to be passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas but merely requires a regulation to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas, with the option of a motion to annul within 21 days. The sweeping power...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, but we have a sweeping power now in this Bill that had a form of safeguard in 2000 but that is now gone.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: It is a sweeping power. These are planning matters and this is a planning Bill. We had an incredibly expensive tribunal looking into planning matters and one of its recommendations and conclusions was that there was too much centralised power in the hands of the Minister but since then things have only gotten worse. This Bill makes it worse again and gives the Minister sweeping powers to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I appreciate that but the appropriate thing to do in legislation is to provide safeguards. The safeguards around this that were in the 2000 Act are being removed and that is the issue.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I move amendment No. 39: In page 38, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: “(4) The Minister shall facilitate effective public participation at an appropriate stage, and while options are still open, during the preparation of regulations which may have a significant effect on the environment, and shall take the following steps: (a) set time-frames sufficient for...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: The Minister of State indicated that the amendments about scheduling specific times was an issue. Is he saying that he is happy with the principle of the amendment that there should be debates, and more flexible language around the timing of those debates and for how long they are scheduled would be acceptable?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: This is Deputy Ó Broin's amendment but I would certainly welcome the Minister of State doing that. We should be well beyond putting in that planning authorities may put in conditions that might address it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: For my own part, I think this is an excellent amendment and I am very supportive of it. The national planning framework is highly significant. The idea that it would not be debated, discussed and scrutinised thoroughly and then subject to a vote of the Oireachtas just does not make any sense to me on any level. As I said before, one of the really disturbing parts of this Bill is that there...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I suggest that we deal first with amendment No. 129 from Deputy Matthews. This will allow him to resume the Chair and me to contribute to the debate on my amendments.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Does the Minister of State want to respond specifically on amendment No. 129?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: To follow on from that, the development plan process at local government level is one of the most extensive parts of the democratic process. This applies in terms of the public consultation element of the development plans and, certainly, in terms of the meetings over many hours and weeks, and the multiple stages where councillors are involved, with thousands of amendments and a huge amount...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I do not accept the view that has been genuinely put forward by the Minister of State that this is a very democratic process. A consultation process is no substitute for a democratic process.