Results 4,821-4,840 of 25,713 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: A national planning policy will be introduced. That will be give the absolute clarity that is needed on Deputy Ó Broin's question. On Deputy's McAuliffe's point, where there is a condition of a grant of permission, it is a legal condition. The only way to alter it is with another application. I take his point but the guidelines in this regard, one would imagine, will become...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Cathaoirleach's understanding is absolutely correct. I intend to withdraw amendments Nos. 656 and 706 in order to further review their wording and resubmit them on Report Stage. However, the Cathaoirleach's understanding of what the process will be is precisely what is intended. As I said, I am withdrawing these amendments and will come back to them on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I can, yes. We dealt with the other amendments in that group that were substantive. I will get to the other amendments now. Amendments Nos, 635 to 639, inclusive; amendment No. 653, amendment Nos. 697 to 701, inclusive; and amendment No. 705 simply seek to improve the language of these provisions without changing the intent of the provision as already provided for in the Planning and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, absolutely.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: To put the situation in context, we have the ministerial action plan, which is providing additional resources across all our planning authorities, including the OPR, local authorities and what will be an coimisiún pleanála. The Deputy is correct that many of these roles are specialised and we have a job to do to ensure we increase the pool of talent through third-level education...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: However, any planning authority has to have regard to and work through guidelines that are issued. We are trying to ensure consistency of approach and certainty around the implementation of national policy. It is the same as setting a timeframe in respect of it. That is a reasonable thing to do. However, we will come back later on with the resources as best as we can.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: In the context of all the things the Deputy, other members and I can think of, we have outlined in the Bill what the process will be in either allowing the Minister or the OPR, as I said, to initiate an assessment. It could be for an unforeseen circumstance, and it is better that the saver provision is there. I would not expect it to be widely used, but it could be for an unforeseen reason...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That is fine. You or I might not be able to foresee a circumstance here today, but we must at lease make provision. I do not see what the difficulty would be in the OPR, which is independent, being given the option of initiating an assessment a development plan. I do not envisage the OPR doing it that often, or maybe at all, but if I were to remove that option - I know it is not in the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank members for their contributions. This is balanced. I assure the Deputy that the Bill is not draconian. In no way or shape is there an intention to take councillors out of the process. I point him to section 65(1)(a) and (b) which contain the specific criteria which will be used. Paragraph (b) refers to where "it is necessary for the Government to take action as a matter of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We are speaking specifically about the amendment. I am conscious that Deputy Matthews is absent. We can go back and forth on this. A very high bar has been set here. It is certainly not a diminution of responsibilities for local authority members. I came from a local authority myself and I have a high regard for local authorities and the input local authority members have. That is why...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I know. I will answer the Deputy's question. Let me give it a bit of context here. The reality is that one cannot put that question in isolation. Asked in isolation, it is not given the context of when this event would occur. When such a situation would occur is clearly outlined in paragraphs (a) and (b). This would be potentially an extreme event where the State has to respond and a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will address those points and then I will conclude. I will not come back in again because I think I have made the point. Members should look at section 65(3). Deputy O’Callaghan referred to housing, and I was not being facetious. It reads "The purpose referred to in subsection (2) is to make provision for or in connection with a class of infrastructure or other development of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy McAuliffe for the amendments. I engaged with Wind Energy Ireland and spoke at its conference previously. Unquestionably, a great resource is already in place. If we go back to the 2006 wind energy guidelines, which set 20-year timelines, and I will come back to the Deputy's specific amendment on that, we can certainly do more. That is why it is not just about onshore but...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, I will. I made the point in my initial response to this grouping about how we will deal with developments that are deemed not to be Chapter 4 developments. I will work on that process and come back on Report Stage on that. Right now, I cannot accept the amendment but I take the point that it requires clarity in that space.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, it was. We had engaged with the industry on that going way back as well and it just made a lot of sense. If technology had improved by the time you were putting in the actual energy infrastructure after the site preparation works were concluded, this amendment allows that to be done. I thank the Minister and Deputy Ó Broin. I propose to suspend the meeting now and resume at 5...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure (21 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Details of the total gross expenditure from my Department’s Vote for 2023 are set out in the attached PDFs. It should be noted that the 2023 outturn figures are provisional and may be subject to minor amendments. Final outturn figures will be set out in the 2023 Appropriation Account to be published later this year following the audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (21 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: My Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of local authorities in addressing homelessness at a local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless services rests with individual local authorities. The named organisation informed the Dublin Region...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 together. The local authority "own development" approval process - commonly referred to as the "Part 8'" process - is set out under section 179 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) and the associated Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations). The final decision on a Part 8 development...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Issues (21 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On 25 April 2023, the Government approved additional measures under the Housing for All Action Plan to incentivise the activation of increased housing supply and help reduce housing construction costs, including the introduction of temporary time-limited arrangements for the waiving of local authority “section 48” development contributions and the refunding of Uisce Éireann...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Electoral Commission (21 Mar 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Electoral Reform Act 2022 included provisions for the establishment of an independent, statutory Electoral Commission, entitled An Coimisiún Toghcháin. An Coimisiún was formally established in February 2023. Section 30 of the Act sets out the functions of An Coimisiún. In addition, Chapter 5 of Part 2 of the Act sets out the functions of An Coimisiún at...