Results 4,401-4,420 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: Without risking a load of emails from councillors, it is councillors who make those decisions. The plans presented by the planners to the executive and they make those decisions and councillors are elected by the residents as well. I sometimes think we are in danger of undermining the democracy we do have in our planning system because of focusing on the points of conflict. I am just out...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: There is the climate challenge that presents as well I suppose.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: There is something in it but I cannot put my finger on the section right now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: For the record, we did have two of the councillor representative groups in here with the local authority executive representatives and the regional assemblies. We did try to include that part of the process. I am into the third round now. If anyone wants to come in please raise their hand.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: I believe we will have time for another run-around on this issue, when we can come back to it. I will now take the next slot and I want to go back again to this development plan because I believe this is the key to it. From my experience, one tends to have more people engaged with local area plans, LAPs, because, in the first instance, one is just in with the local councillors. For the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: Planning structure has to follow the hierarchy or else you would be going off at all angles. I have heard it being described at local authority meetings as it being our plan, where we can do what we want with it. You can, to a certain extent. It is like saying this is my car and I will drive it whatever way I want. There are rules which you have to stick to.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: I think someone mentioned national planning statements from the Minister, in other words, national planning policy in the form of a statement. I think there should be scope for that and it is necessary. Would it be beneficial, in terms of democracy, if the national planning statement was put before the Oireachtas committee to debate, to examine the rationale and provide a democratic,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: Mr. Heneghan is nodding his head. I see Mr. Mandal has some counter-thought on that. What is it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: To clarify, I am not saying we would put it to a vote. The national planning statement is issued and then local authorities have to change the development plan so it matches the hierarchy of planning, which is only correct. The plans below have to comply with the above. That is fine. It would be beneficial if we could bring it in to the committee for even one meeting to establish why are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: Does Ms Kimber mean something beyond appeal but before the judicial process?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: A guidance document on planning conditions was issued recently. Is anyone familiar with that? I am pretty sure I read it and did not just dream it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: They are more to do with building standards and control than the planning system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: Deputy Gould and I will wrap up the discussion. I wish to ask the witnesses about standing and the position in that regard. We have heard reports that residents' associations would not be able to take judicial reviews before Christmas. Do the witnesses have a clear understanding of the issues in the draft Bill in respect of standing? Could they give us their view on it at this point?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: I am talking about this in the context of a judicial review-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: A similar point was raised at a previous meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: Sorry, Ms Kimber. Could I ask for some clarity? The draft Bill states "A person", not an applicant. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: I just wanted to clarify that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: Your reading of this, then, is that for the residents' association to be able to do what it has always been able to do up to this point, that is, to seek a judicial review, it would now have to be "friends of wherever", but Ms Kimber, Mr. Mandal and Mr. Heneghan are the three names listed on it. Is that the difference?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2023)

Steven Matthews: The Terenure West Residents' Association up to this point, and still at this point, can seek a judicial review under the name Terenure West Residents' Association.