Results 2,301-2,320 of 6,905 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, but there is an issue with linguistic impact statements if they are just being signed off by a builder and they are ticking the box and saying this is going to help the language in the area or whatever else. Is that aspect going to be addressed in the guidelines that are issued? In amendment No. 603 we refer to a language impact statement being prepared by an independent expert. Is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: When are we expecting the draft guidelines to be issued?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: The Minister of State responded to the issue I raised about Gaeltacht areas. We see estates of relatively new-build homes in Gaeltacht areas, which presumably were given planning to try to help to meet the needs of the local community, but they are predominantly if not exclusively holiday homes. Of course they can be holiday homes for Irish-language speakers from other parts of the country...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes. However, this Bill refers to measures to regulate short-term lets, which directly impact on Gaeltacht communities. I gave an example of an Irish-language speaking physiotherapist who sees hundreds of short-term lets in the An Spidéal area while living out of a van and working in the local HSE clinic. An Spidéal is not a rent pressure zone. This Bill mentions regulation of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Not specifically. The Minister of State brought in that, in his response.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I was questioning his response because it is not actually applicable to what I was raising. That was the point I was making. We can deal with amendment No. 47 later. It is not in this group.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, but the Minister of State might want to speak to it. I was asking whether he has another response on the issue of how this is affecting Gaeltacht areas. Amendment No. 47 is more general. It is not about Gaeltacht areas. The Minister was saying that short-term let regulation is going to sort out these problems of empty vacant homes in Gaeltacht areas.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: However, it will not work in Gaeltacht areas that are not in RPZs, and the Bill specifically does not include them. Does the Minister of State have another way he is proposing to deal with this problem of empty holiday homes in Gaeltacht areas that are creating problems for Irish language speakers and Gaeltacht communities?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: That will include specifically Gaeltacht areas.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: However, it will include Gaeltacht areas even if they are not in rent pressure zones.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I will start on that point. I am interested in hearing the Minister of State’s thoughts on that as well. I think that is the best way. As the Minister of State will know, Údarás na Gaeltachta is already involved in the provision of some housing in Gaeltacht areas. If the Minister of State thinks the best route is to establish an approved housing body, then...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Does the Minister of State agree that planning authorities and the commission have a significant role in the decisions they make and how they go by their planning decisions, and that can impact Irish-language communities and Gaeltacht areas? If he agrees that they can, then clearly it would be important to have training for people in those areas, so they are aware of their obligations,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: The issue is that a balance, or anything remotely like it, is not being achieved. That is the problem and it is undermining Gaeltacht areas. I gave the example earlier of a physiotherapist, who is just one of many people in that situation. I am not arguing that language should be the only consideration. It is just one of many considerations. I am saying that developments that could...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: On amendment No. 8 specifically and setting the competency in the language, which we spoke about previously, at the B2 level under the common European framework of reference for languages, the Minister of State has said that is the level of competency the Department is accepting and using. If that is what is being accepted and used at government level, why would we not put it into this...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: There is always a problem in Gaeltacht communities and other rural locations with holiday homes, but unregulated short-term lets have exacerbated that. There is now a whole category of people, who because of the income stream through short-term lets are able to afford to purchase holiday homes where they previously were not. It is exactly as Deputy Ó Snodaigh outlined. That creates a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I want to comment on the group of amendments. I commend Deputy Matthews on introducing his amendments, whose thrust I strongly support. There is no question that there is an absolutely compelling case for sustainable public transport in planning and development. Building transport-oriented communities is what we should be doing. New housing developments, affordable housing and all other...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I appreciate the exchange so far. I would like to know why, on the public record, amendment No. 794 on providing for electric vehicle parking and charging systems and for centrally located sheltered secure bicycle and e-bike parking is not being accepted. The lack of provisions around the charging systems for electric vehicles is a live issue that is affecting people in communities across...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: To clarify, the Minister of State has not addressed amendments Nos. 136 and 410 yet. Are they being discussed later or shall I speak to them now?