Results 4,781-4,800 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I thank Ms Buckley. I direct a similar question to the planning regulator as well, as the organisation has oversight of the planning system. I am aware we are going from the planning system into the judicial system in this regard as well, but of those 146 cases, it would be very helpful for all of us if an analysis was done to explore whether there would have been different outcomes in them...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Yes. I bring it up because there is significant public narrative and discussion on the entire planning system about it being down to judicial reviews. I do not share that view entirely. It is an element but there are many other elements to go with it as well. I like the points Mr. Cussen brought up around real clarity in the system from the local right up to the national, clear guidelines...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Plan-making and the replacement of the local area plan with those three different types of plans is something that needs to be looked at.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: We can come back to that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: For anybody listening and in relation to the point on section 328 about "shall" or "may", this is a first draft of a Bill. We will produce a report of recommendations and there will be a second first draft or a final first draft produced taking those into account.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: The Department were very open when we spoke to them on Tuesday and took into account-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: We are joined from the Office of the Planning Regulator, OPR, by Mr. Niall Cussen, planning regulator and chief executive; Ms Anne Marie O'Connor, deputy planning regulator and director of plans and evaluations; and Mr. Gary Ryan, director of reviews and examinations. From An Bord Pleanála, we are joined by Ms Oonagh Buckley, interim chairperson; Ms Brid Hill, chief officer; and Mr....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: It was a good and very long question and deserved to find an answer but I am happy to have let it run on for the Deputy to finish.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Certainly, Ms Buckley if she wishes to.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I am going to move this discussion on now because we can go back to that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: It is an important point. I call on Senator Boyhan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: The Senator said it was going to be a small question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: Perhaps the witnesses would like to comment on that. I did say that chapter 3, plans, is a critically important part of the Bill but if Mr. Cussen wishes to comment on that, he can do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: There are delays with the NCT as well but that is the responsibility of a different committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I will take the second slot for the Green Party. I want to talk about plans and follow on from what Senator Boyhan said. One of the points that came up in our engagement with the Department was that we want to get much more public involvement and engagement in the making of a local area plan, county plan, priority area plan or whatever it might be, so that conflict does not arise when the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: We would all support that. Mr. Cussen is right about people looking at a map that shows, say, a purple patch that refers to employment. What does 20 or 60 units to the hectare look like? It would help if people could visualise what 65 units or 120 units would look like. We are not saying that is what is going in but it would provide a visual representation. There is not a lack of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: We have heard a great deal about resources as well. I do not know how many planners come out of the third level system every year. It could be 1,800. Does Mr. Cussen visit the universities? Does he talk to students and explain the nature of the work and what it entails? It is not all about planners. Ecologists, architects, engineers and other professionals are required.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: I will ask Ms Buckley to comment as well. The Irish Planning Institute was before the committee recently. The level of spotlight and scrutiny on planners and the planning system might lead some people to ask why they would go into that line of work. There is a level of criticism and public spotlight on the area and the entire planning system is cast in a bad light when we know the vast...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: The funding for resourcing is not necessarily the problem. The supply chain into the organisation is also an issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Feb 2023)

Steven Matthews: It is incredible that we expect An Bord Pleanála to perform its duties with so few staff, given the workload and its complexity. I agree with the Deputy’s point on dereliction and vacancy, which he has raised consistently. We are going to have a series of meetings with the dereliction and vacancy unit in the Department, probably in April or May, which will probably allow time...