Results 2,981-3,000 of 11,187 for speaker:Colm Burke

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

Colm Burke: Outside of judicial review, Ms Buckley would hope that all these would be dealt with.

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

Colm Burke: Are particular SID projects, for instance, being prioritised? There are two in particular involving the interconnector between the UK and Ireland. Where are those two applications at this stage on whether a decision will be made one way or the other?

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

Colm Burke: My understanding is that there are some applications before the board involving infrastructure development where if the decision is not taken within a particular period, European funding will not be made available.

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

Colm Burke: I fully understand that.

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

Colm Burke: The other issue I am referring to is where European funding is available and it is dependent on a decision from the board. If that decision is not taken within a particular period, funding will not be available. Again, this relates to important infrastructure.

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

Colm Burke: I would like to go back to the issue of judicial reviews. We have seen the table for 2017 to 2022. There were 226 cases taken. The number of cases that An Bord Pleanála won is 52. I know the awarding of costs is dependent on the court but in any of those 52 cases, has An Bord Pleanála been awarded costs and have costs been collected? Even in the past year, An Bord Pleanála...

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

Colm Burke: Out of 52 cases, it is a very small amount.

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

Colm Burke: The number of cases lost in that six-year period was 31. Quite a number of cases were conceded as well. The impression of the public is that a far higher number of cases is being lost by An Bord Pleanála. Is there a need for the board to get the message out there that the decisions that have been made, in fairness, have been robust and that it is quite prepared to fight these cases...

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

Colm Burke: Yes.

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

Colm Burke: Ms Buckley is obviously hoping that the legal person being appointed to the board will remove some of those issues.

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

Colm Burke: We have not been given any figures on cases going from the High Court to the Court of Appeal and to the Supreme Court. Can we get details of those at some stage? I know Ms Buckley will probably not be able to give them to us today. The other thing I wanted to touch on was the cases withdrawn. A total of 54 cases that were initiated and then subsequently withdrawn. Is there a problem...

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

Colm Burke: I accept that. That is what I am saying.

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

Colm Burke: I understand there are a few cases where the board is waiting for judgment. The cases have been fully heard and there has been a delay in the issuing of the judgment. I understand there is one case, in fact, where the judgment has been awaited for more than four years.

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

Colm Burke: That question asked earlier related to an application in request for a railway order. I understand it was submitted on 10 November 2022. Ms Buckley cannot give me an answer here. I fully understand that. The concern being raised with me is that there is €185 million of EU funding available for that project and the project must be completed by the fourth quarter of 2026. It is in...

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

Colm Burke: There is concern about the funding. We will not be able to take up the funding unless there is a decision.

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

Colm Burke: I fully understand that it is complex and it is not straightforward. I thank the Chair.

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Apr 2023)

Colm Burke: 27. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures being undertaken by his Department to ensure that there are sufficient staffing numbers in passport services in order that the current processing times for passport applications are maintained, given the spike in volume of passport applications received by passport services often occurs in the lead up to and during the summer...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Official Engagements (27 Apr 2023)

Colm Burke: 62. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on his latest engagement with the Russian ambassador in view of the recent presence of Russian commercial vessels in international waters off Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19748/23]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (27 Apr 2023)

Colm Burke: 111. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the measures his Department is taking to assist new build property owners who are not eligible for the solar electricity grant; if consideration will be given to the provision of additional financial supports to assist new build property owners purchase and install solar PV systems, where the properties were built and...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (27 Apr 2023)

Colm Burke: 135. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide an update on the roll out of the National Broadband Plan in Cork; the total number of premises falling under the NBP remit in Cork; the total number of premises that are now available to pre-order/order broadband and the total number of premises still pending survey; if these figures are on target...