Results 2,361-2,380 of 6,937 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: Before we break can I ask a very short question which is very relevant?

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Can we go for another few minutes while we have the Minister of State here? Is that okay?

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I welcome the Minister of State's commitment to address this. The amendments we brought forward do not just talk about protecting and conserving biodiversity. They also, very importantly, refer to enhancing biodiversity and restoration. Will the Minister of State give us a commitment that when he brings the Bill back on Report Stage, it will not just refer to protecting and conserving...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: In regard to amendment No. 410 I struggle to see what the unintended consequences of our amendment would be. It is clear and straightforward. SAAOs are very important. Having them listed here in the obligation to prepare a strategy for conservation of natural and built heritage is an omission. It is missing. We are correcting this flaw in the Bill. What could be the unintended...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: This is quite a distinct section of the Bill. It is literally just listing the obligations for preparing strategies for conservation. It is listing this as one of the areas. I cannot see how it impacts on other parts of the Bill.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, but I do not see-----

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, and we are putting forward the case that it is the appropriate place to put it. I am confused by the explanation that there could be a conflict between amenity areas and conservation areas, so-----

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

Cian O'Callaghan: There is then a concern that there could be a conflict between special areas of amenity, conservation areas and recreational areas. Will the Minister of State expand on that for me?

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I am finding it difficult to understand the explanation, and I will explain why. First, this is about the obligation to prepare a strategy for conservation of natural and built heritage. Natural heritage is the obvious place where one would place our amendment as regards areas subject to special amenity area orders and the identification of such areas. If they are not included under that...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: It was the Howth special amenity area order management committee. It was very useful because the National Parks and Wildlife Service was involved as it has a particular interest in SACs and so forth, and this was complementary. There were no conflicts. Within that area, there were recreational uses as well because there can be special areas of amenity and recreational uses in those as...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: My concern is that we have had a lot of undertakings since we started this Bill - every time we raise an issue there are undertakings - but we are not actually getting concrete proposals. We are not being told our amendments are wrong, only that the Government wants to look at this more. My concern is that all this could be lost within the commitments on biodiversity and that we may have...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I do not find the explanation given satisfactory. We have been told about these conflicts but, in fact, the experience is that you can of course have recreation functions in special areas of amenity and you can have special conservation areas. This is the reality now - it happens - so being told that it poses these potential conflicts and that therefore the amendment cannot be accepted at...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I completely accept that.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: It was being put forward that there are conflicts which mean we cannot necessarily have conservation areas in amenity areas and we cannot have recreational uses. In fact, we can. What was put forward is that there are potential conflicts. Either there are real conflicts-----

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

Cian O'Callaghan: There are potential conflicts-----

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I have a question on section 202 of the Planning and Development Act regarding what it states about special areas of amenity. It states that they can be defined in terms of for beauty or recreation. Am I to take from what the Minister of State said that this is no longer the case? Is there a change regarding special areas of amenity and their recreational use? One can talk about...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Are they the same? There is no change. Recreation is still there.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I am concerned by comments which seem to imply conflicts that would appear to go against what the legislation states. We are being told there could be a conflict with recreation, yet the Bill seems to state otherwise. That gives rise to concern.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Is there a response on that?

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Section 242(1) includes the phrase, "Where, subject to ... the opinion of the planning authority by reason of ... its special recreational value". It is there and yet we are told about these conflicts and that it is not necessarily possible to have an SAAO if there is recreation. Yet, the Bill refers to special recreational value. I am struggling with the information we are being given by...