Results 5,101-5,120 of 26,666 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: If I understand the Deputy, the default position would be set to three years for all permissions, under her amendment.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Someone who goes back for an extension would not be restricted, but instead of five years it would be three years. The point is that would shorten that timeframe and the timeframe for permission for any application that goes to a local authority. That could involve a large commercial facility or a large housing development, or whatever the case may be. The Deputy's amendment sets the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Someone going back in for more time would not be restricted but I take it, if that person went back to request another period, the Deputy would probably want that to be three years.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I have already made the points on why I cannot accept that and why I do not think it is a good idea.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Totally. I completely and utterly agree with the Deputy. That is why it has been one of our focuses. We will not have a political discussion here but we could talk about all our various plans for housing and what we are doing. Unquestionably, vacancy is an area we are very focused on. It is something we want to see continued progress on, but that is for another discussion. I have...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Sorry, I thought I answered that. That will sit with the planning authority. It is right and proper that the planning authority and the planning department in a local authority will be the ones who will make that decision. The Deputy is right that it is not specified, but it is for those authorities to determine the duration of the permission under section 164(3). Section 164(4) states: ...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not think it would not be appropriate to have critieria, to be honest.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That is what a plan is for.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy is suggesting we include a provision in the Bill for a developer who has 1,000 houses to be given ten years, for example, or similar for a shopping centre of more than X thousand square metres. Is that what he wants to put into the Bill? I do not think it is. With the passing of the Bill, planning departments will very clearly see where they can go further than the five years....

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That could be read together with section 164(2)(b). You could also look at every different scenario. If someone is coming in for a large project, be that residential, infrastructure or whatever it might be, they will know the timeframe within which it should be built. The completion of the work has to happen within the permission period. If someone thinks it is going to be ten years or...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It could.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: No, I am not. It allows for both.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: What is wrong with that?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: No, I did not.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Deputy O'Callaghan should go back and check the record. I did not say that. He should go back and check it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am telling Deputy O'Callaghan what the fact is. I do not want to have an argument about it but I did not say that. We have to allow that flexibility, for example, if an applicant makes an application and says it will take ten years or if a local authority says it will take five years but the planning authority thinks it will take longer. There is no other motive in any of this. It is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It would be very unusual, frankly, but potentially it could be for environmental reasons. It could be because something was carried out on the site that should not have been carried out but that would lead to an enforcement notice. I am trying to think myself of what the reason could be for refusal if a development was substantially complete and the works had been carried out on foot of the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We are talking hypothetically here, as we do not have a specific case to talk about. I discussed section 166 earlier with Deputy Ó Snodaigh. If a person is refused for that part then no further work can take place and another application would have to be made.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes. We discussed section 166 on page 303. It is very clear in section 166(1) and section 166(2)(a) and (b). It is at the bottom of page 303. I referred to it when Deputy Ó Snodaigh asked me a question a few moments ago. A developer would have to cease works if they were not compliant. I do not know what happens after that. The developer would obviously have to engage with the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: But the permission has been refused. If a developer has completed the first four phases within the time period, and they are fine, that is covered under section 166. If the developer has not commenced or completed another piece then an application must be sought for that. If the planning authority refuses it, the developer cannot do anything with it. The developer cannot work if there is...