Results 3,941-3,960 of 11,114 for speaker:Damien English

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: Deputy Ryan is right to say that from budget 2019 onwards there will be an opportunity to invest more money in the future of the country and that we have to get back to a sustainable position. However, we are not going to see the step-change Deputy Ryan requires in one budget – I have made that clear. That is why the ten-year investment strategy will be the backup to this. We will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: The time for this segment is nearly up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: One could not possibly forget Carlow.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: Will I answer the first round of questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: I shall work backwards through the questions. The final day for submissions is 3 November. We will spend most of November reviewing all of the submissions. We will take on board any suggestions and, if necessary, will make changes. We hope to publish the plan in December.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: The lads around me might have a lot more grey hair by then but that is our plan. We will have the regional strategies from that in 2018 and they will be published. Also, local area plans will be adopted by 2019 and we will take account of the strategy in those. The earlier we can align all of our thinking and processes the better success we will have in delivering the strategy. As will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: I am just saying this strategy is about making sure-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: We have mentioned Carlow, Wicklow, Mayo, Galway, Cork and Waterford. I will not name all of them. The idea of the plan is not to limit ambition but to plan it in a co-ordinated way. There is great potential for towns. The larger towns, in particular, have massive potential to grow in a more sustainable way with more job creation and through winning investment. That is not limited in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: The decision making on the composition of that is not a matter for this plan. It is key that the decisions on local democracy, democracy in general and the arms of the State buy into, and work with, this process, but the plan will not dictate whether one has a town council, municipal area or the like. That is not its function. There is an ongoing discussion in that regard in our Department...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: Yes, but I am referring to the decision making-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: That is fine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: I accept the point the Deputy makes. In the debate last night in the House which was started by Deputy Mattie McGrath we discussed this and its importance. In that case I cited my town as different. In my case we have a municipal area that covers the town and it is in a very strong position. That is something I would encourage people to examine, but it is not a matter for today's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: The Deputy is correct. That is the reason for bringing State agencies and Departments around the table. We have not had that joined-up thinking among our agencies over the years but we must have it, in one way or another, or we will not achieve our ambitions here. There is more than one way to skin a cat but we have to find ways to do this joint decision making for the benefit of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: Deputy Casey also asked about the national investment plan and whether the decision on that would be aspirational or detailed. It will be both. However, the final decision will be for the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform so the Deputy can bring his evidence based arguments to them. It will all be evidence-based decision making. The idea of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: The ports are there.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: National Planning Framework: Discussion (18 Oct 2017)

Damien English: We recognised the importance of that and gave it a chapter of its own, chapter 6. The Senator has read it and I welcome that. I encourage the members to read it and if they wish to add to it they can in the weeks ahead. I agree that there is major potential in the marine. There are particular strategies for that as well. In addition, people need to know that we invest a great deal of...

Local Authority Boundaries Review: Motion [Private Members] (17 Oct 2017)

Damien English: Do not forget Galway.

Local Authority Boundaries Review: Motion [Private Members] (17 Oct 2017)

Damien English: Check the job creation statistics for the last 12 months.

Local Authority Boundaries Review: Motion [Private Members] (17 Oct 2017)

Damien English: The Deputy is reading reports from ten years ago.

Local Authority Boundaries Review: Motion [Private Members] (17 Oct 2017)

Damien English: There will be an extra 600,000 jobs, mainly in the knowledge economy, frequently being drawn to the cities and central urban areas. I heard the Deputy speaking about Galway today, which is one of the medical technology hubs of the world. It is a major centre and we need to enhance and develop it. This means Galway city must grow and the population living there must increase. We have to...