Results 4,721-4,740 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) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: One can continue in the planning process even though the MACs have been challenged.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: In real timeline terms, there would be 90 days' response time for an application for a MAC. If someone seeks a judicial review on that, under current timelines they could be waiting for a response for a year. Does Ms Conaghan envisage that a planning application would have been complete or how far would she expect it to move along during that time?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: I understand. On section 249 and Part 9 judicial reviews, there is the suggestion that the deciding body can correct any error of law. Are all the witnesses in support of that? Does anybody have a concern that it might introduce further uncertainty? Are they 100% sure that this will correct any uncertainty that exists? In a scenario where an amended decision is given and somebody else is...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: I will add to that question. If the option exists to go back to correct any error of law, does that generate a better decision-making process, or does it say that if we do not get something right we can go back to correct it? I want good planning decisions made. I totally accept a planning application is so complex and involves so many issues that mistakes can be made. I do not mind going...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: Is it a step too far to say we can correct any error of law in a planning system, which is a judicial system in itself? Can we do that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: Does Mr. Spain or somebody else have a view on that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: It can at the moment.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: Under the current Act, minor errors can be corrected.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: We will now be going to any error.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: Who knows?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: We do not want to introduce any more-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: Yes, but now if someone-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: Okay. I accept that. However, if the goalposts are moved in the middle of a judicial review process to say we have corrected that error of law, that is not the same scenario, as Mr. Spain said.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: Are we better off with consistent, short timelines to make decisions or going with this route, where the error of law can be changed? Does the judicial review then just fall?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: Sorry, we will come back to it. The next slot is Fianna Fáil's but Senator Fitzpatrick is tied up in the Seanad. I will go to Senator Seery Kearney for Fine Gael. Deputy Higgins will be first in the third round.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: As a committee, we can chase up on where that guidance note is. That applied to housing as well. It was not just applicable to wind energy.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: We all agree in respect of the 70,000 applications that are delayed by the board. There are 200 people working in An Bord Pleanála but there probably should be 400. Would that fix the delay in the planning system that we hear about the whole time? Would it deliver a fully functioning board, with board meetings decisions within those timeframes? Is that the delay in the planning...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: If the backlog is removed and An Bord Pleanála is fully resourced, will the delays in the planning system be gone?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: Local authorities meet them in nine weeks, on average. They are very good at that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Feb 2023)
Steven Matthews: What makes the 70,000 that are currently delayed different from the 70,000 that are currently extant? Why should we think it was done right this time and the delayed projects will not turn out to be another 70,000 units for which permission has been granted but that are not getting built? I am asking the witnesses to give me confidence in that regard.