Results 3,601-3,620 of 14,941 for speaker:Eoin Ó Broin

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

Eoin Ó Broin: The issue is that the Minister of State in his opening statement went through the first group of his subgroups. He now has to go through his next group of subgroups and then we can respond to those.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: I am not sure it is agreeable but I would say that we can proceed on that basis.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: It was with a wry smile that I greeted the Minister of State's comments on how some of our amendments would not be acceptable because there is no capacity to cope with them in the planning system. If that were a rule for not including things in the Bill, very significant sections of the Minister of State's own portions of the Bill would be ruled out, because there are currently no resources...

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

Eoin Ó Broin: The Minister of State is giving the OPR a considerable additional workload under the Bill, which we will come to separately. He cannot reject our amendments on the basis they will increase the workload of the OPR when he is increasing its workload under the Bill's provisions. That is a political decision.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: Where is that stated?

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

Eoin Ó Broin: Yes, and the Minister of State is saying it is already there. Where is it stated?

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

Eoin Ó Broin: The Oireachtas Wi-Fi is fine but other Wi-Fi connections are not. If the Minister of State links to TRA, he will find it is perfect.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: For this and for so many other things.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: I move amendment No. 9: In page 28, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: “ “competent in the Irish language” means spoken competency at level B2 or higher under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages;”.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: I move amendment No. 10: In page 28, line 6, to delete “ “Deputy Chief Planning Commissioner” ” and substitute “ “Leas Phríomh Choimisinéir Pleanála” ”. I withdraw the amendment and reserve the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: I move amendment No. 13: In page 30, line 21, to delete “ “Governing Board” ” and substitute “ “Bord Rialúcháin” ”.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: If there is a good example of the challenges of the Green Party in government, it is the exchange we are having now. I do not say that in a flippant way because, to be fair to Deputy Matthews, he is tabling a range of amendments that I support and that are very sensible. His party colleague is reading out speaking notes arguing why policies that are, broadly speaking, Green Party policies...

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

Eoin Ó Broin: Deputy Matthews is feeling the pain that we have been feeling.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: It is much more painful when one has to do it in real time.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: They say there are two things one should never watch being made, namely, sausages and legislation. My apologies to the vegetarians. I say that because what we are witnessing is a good example of probably how not to make legislation. I say that with the greatest respect to everybody involved in the process. We are scrambling around with two different sets of groupings of amendments. I...

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

Eoin Ó Broin: It is just a fact of the process. Moreover, this is on an issue that is not peripheral to good quality planning in the 21st century but one which is absolutely essential. Again, this is no criticism of anyone in this room but this is what happens when you ask the former Attorney General and a bunch of lawyers to go off and do the first draft of a Bill. On profound issues of planning, had...

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

Eoin Ó Broin: I also seek a clear justification for the position, even if it is only the official note from the officials.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: Sure. The only thing I would say is that if the frequency of that statement continues with the frequency we have had to date, the officials will be obliged to draft an awful lot of documents to bring back to us, which is giving them extra work. The purposes of these sessions is to tease this stuff out in public session where there is a record of it and where external parties can view it.

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

Eoin Ó Broin: While I will of course accept a note, the Minister of State should be careful of the number of extra notes he is giving to his officials to do. In addition, those notes do not get scrutinised and discussed publicly.