Results 5,721-5,740 of 26,666 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: It is section 14(1) on page 98.

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

Darragh O'Brien: That very thing is there as well.

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

Darragh O'Brien: To be helpful, I refer to section 58(1), which relates to the preparation of the draft development plan or the notice of proposed variations to development plans, which, it states, “shall include particulars of the provision and a map indicating the right of way”. That is very clear.

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

Darragh O'Brien: I think this is covered in another section.

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

Darragh O'Brien: Under section 49, which deals with the obligation to prepare objectives for management of areas, uses and structures, paragraph (g) refers to "preserving a specific public right of way, including a public right of way which gives access to any seashore, mountain, lakeshore, riverbank or other place of natural beauty or recreational utility." I genuinely do not see this as any sort of...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I get the Deputy’s point but he is looking at section 49 in isolation, without section 58, which clearly states “shall”. I do not see any difficulty. They should be provided, and they are. If there were to be a perceived difference regarding what a local authority must do, that is made very clear under section 58. There may be an issue with the use of the word...

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

Darragh O'Brien: I just went back to section 49-----

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

Darragh O'Brien: The Chair is right. In our discussion of section 49, we said we would look at that. Section 58 uses the word “shall”.

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

Darragh O'Brien: That is exactly the same as the wording used in the 2000 Act. It is the exact same wording as in section 14 of the existing Act, on page 98. To respond to the Chair’s point about section 49(2)(g), we did say we would look at the wording, and we will do so.

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

Darragh O'Brien: This relates to additional resources for the OPR, which is regularly discussed with the regulator, what will be an coimisiún pleanála and our planning authorities. There will be additional responsibilities for each of the arms of our planning system. In many instances, that will require additional resources and that absolutely has been discussed. The Deputy will have seen over...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Just by way of response – we do not want to debate back and forth – I understand the point Deputy Ó Broin is making. In the course of this session, I will give members the up-to-date resources figures. We had them before at a previous stage but within this as well. It is telling that An Bord Pleanála, even with all the difficulties it had that we stabilised and...

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

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, this afternoon. We have those figures, so if I can get them for members this afternoon, I will.

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

Darragh O'Brien: Let us see what I get first. I will be able to give members the overall resources. Let us see what I can get for members this afternoon.

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

Darragh O'Brien: For a point of clarity on that, this is not an additional burden on a planning authority; rather, this replaces an existing procedure. However, the Deputy’s point is still valid. I will get members as up-to-date figures as I can on resourcing, what is approved and how many additional staff we have in place across the planning authorities.

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

Darragh O'Brien: It replaces the existing procedure. Every planning authority, when guidelines are issued, has to look at them. What we are doing now is ensuring that they are reporting back within two months.

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

Darragh O'Brien: No, not the element of a reporting procedure.

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

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 507: In page 144, line 5, to delete “Regulator or the National Transport Authority” and substitute “Regulator, the National Transport Authority or any other body as may be prescribed,”.

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

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 510: In page 144, line 40, to delete “simultaneously” and substitute “on the same day”.

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

Darragh O'Brien: It is a kind of saver provision; a catch-all just in case it would be required. It is not just the Minister. Section 61(2)(d) states: "The Office of the Planning Regulator may, at any time, of its own initiative and for stated reasons, carry out an assessment of a development plan in accordance with subsections (3) and (4)." That is a good thing. The independent Planning Regulator may...

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

Darragh O'Brien: On the interaction with elected members, I take the Deputy's point and have some sympathy. As Deputies can see, we have detailed what the Minister shall do before issuing an urgent direction. Section 65(4), in paragraphs (a) to (d), lists what the Minister shall do and that includes consulting the OPR and so on. I understand the point about elected members of a local authority. We have to...