Results 5,661-5,680 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Obviously, we did not need to give the OPR direction on the function with regard to a language plan. I understand the point the Deputy is making but if he looks at where it sits within it, it is giving them an additional function that is currently there with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes. I need more time to assess what we do. They are statutory bodies. I mentioned other bodies. I was not being flippant. There are other really good groups who we might probably say that we should be consulting with them. I have already mentioned that I am consulting with Bánú but no one is proposing it in the legislation. That is my point.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Sure. Perhaps I will respond briefly to Deputy Ó Broin. Prescribed bodies are State bodies. Part of the reason for them being prescribed is, as the Deputy said, so that people have to interact with them and seek their experience and expertise in their specific areas, as is right and proper. I said in respect of Foras na Gaeilge and An Coimisinéir Teanga that I will look at that....

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We will have a look at it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: As I said, I think everyone agrees that we cannot have a long definitive list. I remind members that any other bodies can be consulted, but specifically within the areas I mentioned, we will look at State bodies with regard to prescribing and the other areas around the regulation.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will give the Deputy a commitment that I will look at those in detail in advance of Report Stage. We will be able to provide some further assurances on it. I will get clarification on An Taisce but I understand it was the 1963 Act. It was unique being the Irish national trust type of thing so it got special status.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Next week, it will be a different thing.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: If -I am saying "if" with a big health warning - it is not too onerous, we have them and can go through them here as we are. If the Deputy leaves that with me, we will see what is possible. I am conscious that-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Can the Deputy let me finish for a second? When we come out of these committee meetings, obviously a lot of additional work is required in advance of the next day too so I want to see what is actually possible. We will try to be as helpful as we can.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We are all working off the same lists.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will see what can be done.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We have discussed amendment No. 30 already but the next logical cluster contained amendments Nos. 355 to 357, inclusive, 360, 369, 371, 373, 380, 421, 900 and 901 tabled by Deputies Ó Broin, Gould and Ó Snodaigh. There are three more amendments in the grouping, namely, amendment No. 368, tabled by Deputies O'Callaghan agus Ó Cathasaigh, and then amendments Nos. 894 and 899,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I can. I can go through them all but-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Okay, let me go through them. For fear of boring the members to death-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I cannot say the feeling is mutual. These amendments seek to further merge additional matters - as we have discussed some of this, members will have to bear with me - in relation to the Irish language into the context of development plans through strategies for sustainable development and regeneration, strategies relating to economic development, strategies relating to creation,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will be really quick rather than leave that hanging. I will mention couple of things and I will endeavour to be brief. To deal with Deputy Ó Snodaigh's point, we might look again at chapter 1 of Part 7 on page 403. I would contest that it is well covered there in having "regard to the overall housing needs of the population of its functional area". The national planning statement...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I am just saying we have to be an-chúramach faoi sin because there is an equality aspect to it as well. It is one island and one country. There are differences within it. I have seen it on the ground. I have seen how it is being managed with local authorities that have been interested, but we have got to be careful in that regard as well. We may be putting one person ahead of...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I know that; I am just saying that is the complexity.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will mention a couple of things we are doing. As I said to Deputy Ó Cathasaigh earlier with regard to the affordable housing, we are well advanced in An Rinn. That is working well. I see the affordable housing fund being utilised there. The ratios with regard to Údarás na Gaeltachta and its ability to be able to sell land is something that is being worked through. The...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Feb 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: With regard to holiday homes or homes that are not used all year round, I know from friends of mine who are in the Gaeltacht that many of those are family homes of people who have returned to the area. There have been far too many, I get that too, but they are homes. It is not just to say these are people coming from the Gaeltacht or from Germany or France. Many of those homes the Deputy...