Results 5,681-5,700 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (13 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: 261. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38328/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: 109. To ask the Minister for Health the position in relation to the Departmental review of the dental medical card scheme; his plans to alleviate access issues to dentists for medical card holders in the short-term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37698/22]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: 392. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has given any consideration to further extending the buy and repair scheme to allow local authorities to provide cost rental homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37199/22]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: 393. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will request that local authorities set targets to provide social housing through the repair and lease scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37200/22]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: 394. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps that he is taking to ensure standardisation across all local authorities regarding commercial rate rebates for vacant commercial units; if he is concerned that such rebates act as a disincentive to returning these units to use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37201/22]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: 517. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the case (details supplied) of a Zimbabwean national with Irish citizenship who had his or her personal documentation sent to the South African embassy in Dublin as part of an application for an Irish passport; if there is a basis for this process; and if he will clarify the pathway for a passport...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: 537. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the case of school bus drivers whereby once they reach 70 years of age, they are no longer allowed to be employed under the Bus Éireann school bus contract despite having passed a yearly medical assessment permitting them to drive other coaches; if she will review this matter; and if she will make a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: We continue our engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the review and consolidation of planning legislation. I welcome back to the committee Ms Maria Graham, assistant secretary, planning division; Ms Mary Jones, principal officer; Mr. Eugene Waters, assistant principal officer, planning review section; and Mr. Colin Ryan, senior planning adviser. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: We have covered four subject areas so far, namely, forward planning, development consent, enforcement and planning bodies. Today we will deal with environmental assessments in the planning system. Ms Graham mentioned judicial reviews for autumn time. That will be discussion number 6. Will we cover further headings or subject matter?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: The committee, as ever, will be interested in participating in that when the material is available, at whatever stage in the process is best. I note from Ms Graham's opening statement that the Department only met on Monday on this module. I was looking through the membership of the advisory forum. I note that the Dublin Democratic Planning Alliance has written to the Minister of State,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Deputy Ó Broin. Deputy Higgins is next.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: Do you wish to comment on that briefly, Ms Graham?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I will take the next slot. The EU directives that we have and that we have transposed into law are there to protect the environment and our health and are there for our protection. They are often held up as a reason for things not happening. I think we have become slightly disconnected from the purpose of those directives. Sometimes people get caught up in saying nothing can happen...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I would like to make a recommendation for the dissemination of information at the various different levels where it is required. If one reads a court judgment, one sees that it is fairly or highly complex. I have tried to read a good few of them. The executive summary aspect could just go out to the general public as well, so they would know that such a development failed or that something...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: An Bord Pleanála is bound by the time element. It cannot extend it to give more time. If more resources or expertise are provided, it can meet that requirement within that timeframe. Is that more or less the thought process?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: Sure. The first question I asked about the feedback and the learning would feed into that as well. It would highlight a step in the process where consistent mistakes were made or a mistake was made. This is not to blame anybody but it is a complex process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: Thank you. That is good to know. When a Part 8 application is done by a local authority that requires an environmental impact assessment, the decision is made by the board and not by the local authority members. What is the rationale behind that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: I do not quite understand that. Is that because the local authority is the one that compiles the environmental impact assessment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: But does the applicant generally not provide the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2022)

Steven Matthews: We have a Part 8 planning system where we allow local authority members to make a decision that local authorities apply for. That is the Part 8 system. If it requires an environmental impact statement, it would go straight to the board. I never knew what the rationale behind it was but if a person is putting in a planning application that requires an environmental impact assessment, the...