Results 5,141-5,160 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are a few issues with the amendment but, in principle, I agree having a public consultation over, say, a holiday period will not exercise the minds of the public. In practice, however, that is extremely rare. As an example, we discussed yesterday the sustainable residential development and complex settlement growth guidelines. I had them ready before Christmas. Most local...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Like the Deputy.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: To be helpful, I do not believe we are a million miles away from each other on defining "reasonable". The Deputy has attempted to expand on "reasonable" and the requirements in his amendment. I genuinely do not believe the language is appropriate for inclusion in the primary legislation and that it would be more appropriate to address the matter via a circular or guidance, which can be...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The last two words of the section read "considers reasonable". I know that Deputy has flipped it the other way. On whether it is more appropriate to specify through guidance, this could be done anyway. It certainly could be done under the provision. However, on the basis of what I have mentioned already, and without being in any way dismissive, I believe the wording of the amendment is...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It could be Eid or another occasion. These types of matters are appropriate at the time. With regard to trying to come up with a definition, we could certainly consider setting down the principle in guidance. It already applies to bank holidays and the like. No one is going to put something out for public consultation during St. Patrick's week. It is effectively a week now as opposed to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Do they?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Not really. I agree with Deputy O'Callaghan that public consultation is crucial. I have always believed in it. Unquestionably, it makes things better when the public is consulted, even in the case of small schemes like schemes for ramps on roads, for argument's sake. In our own area, draft proposals for road ramps are put on display for public consultation, and rightly so. The public's...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, under section 370, by way of an example.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: No, it is page 557 in the Bill. Basically, I do not have anything further to add. It was to be helpful. It would be much more appropriate in guidance. There is no issue in doing that and setting out the principles in which public consultation can occur. The final thing I will say is to ask if anyone can put an example to me now of really poor public consultation through a State body or...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will deal with amendment No. 429 first, on the linguistic piece. That crosses over to what we have discussed at length with regard to the Gaeltacht planning, in particular the preservation of and supporting the growth of the Irish language in our Gaeltacht areas. I have dealt with the broader issue of linguistic context previously. We debated this at length. I did not believe it was...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Amendments Nos. 417 to 419, inclusive - which have not been spoken to yet so I will come back in then - seek to amend section 49 concerning the obligation to prepare objectives for the management of areas, uses and structures as part of the development plan. Section 49(2)(g) states the development management statement may include objectives for a number of matters including preserving public...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The word "linguistic" as it is positioned there, does not refer specifically to Irish or English-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am not sure and I will have to consider that further. I am not in a position to accept it right now. Our big focus on the linguistic piece is in practical terms, whereas, as I said, we know what we are doing with the priority area plans and I will not labour that, but that would be a very significant step forward. Just to clarify on the point, in respect of the inclusion of monuments in...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On amendment No. 422, which covers public rights of way, I will consider that on foot of what we have said but I need to balance it and we will have to look at it because I do not believe rights of way should be legislated for, although I am not saying we are doing so within this Bill. I have to see what other consequences would be there, but I take the point. I have said on amendment No....

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It is worth repeating too that we want to look at this on Committee Stage, before Report Stage. The Deputy is right on the active travel piece, we are seeing a significant increase of routes being opened and developed throughout the country. That is great to see. On how they link up, I can speak from experience from my own local authority, Fingal County Council, where it has actually shown...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That is understood.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We can check that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That is understood.