Results 5,901-5,920 of 15,009 for speaker:Eoin Ó Broin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: It sounds like a stupid question but it is important to establish that representativeness is currently not actually a legal requirement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Exactly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: There is a reason I am asking this question. Again, getting the explanatory memorandum would be helpful, but many of us who have been involved in many of the recent and controversial changes to our planning system, that then led to significant increases in the number of judicial reviews of residential developments, are looking at aspects of this proposed Bill to see if they are an attempt by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: The members of a group might be a minority interest within their community. However, as long as they meet all of the other criteria to hold legal standing, that does not matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: In her submission, Ms Minch says that she is looking at six other areas of the Bill. I invite her to tell us what the view or views of the members of her committee are on any or all of those areas at this preliminary stage. We have a fair amount of time and I believe the Chair would be interested in hearing those views as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Would Ms Minch like to briefly run through those areas?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: For the record, I presume it is Ms Minch's position that the status quoshould remain.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Would it be fair to say that Ms Minch is concerned about what is omitted in the change and would lean towards improving the status quoin a more positive way?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Go ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: This is a similar explanation to that which the Department gave us. Its representatives said this was the original intention of section 5. One could argue that it has become a very useful tool for third parties in clarifying what is or is not an exempted development. If we go back to the difficulties with enforcement, in some ways it can become a tool to ensure compliance that is not as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: I am not necessarily inviting Ms Minch to give a definitive position on the other five non-judicial review points but I would like to know what are the areas of concern or consideration she is making on them at this point in time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Will Ms Minch repeat that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: This is the part of the Bill that has received the least attention in our consideration. We are very interested in hearing views on this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Yes, I have a few questions. First, did either of the witnesses' organisations engage with members of the planning forum in the Department? Have they had any engagement on the draft Bill up to this time, corporately as the committee or as the association?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: When the draft Bill was published, the Government said that what is proposed will lead to an improved planning regime and provide greater clarity, consistency and certainty. It also said it would make the planning system more coherent and user-friendly. I realise that it is only a draft Bill and that our guests are only considering it; however, in the last four sessions we have had, with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: Let me ask a corollary question. If we do not take the time to get that right and if, for political reasons, there is a desire to pass the proposed legislation more quickly, what are the potential consequences of not clarifying and, potentially, improving some of the key areas the representatives have outlined, in short or summary form?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: I have two final questions. I understand there is a commitment from the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, to increase the number of judges by 20 over a period, although there is no clarity on the exact areas they will be in. In this regard, I return to the point that the Chair made in the context of increasing resources rather than...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: I suspect that will happen because I understand the Minister is progressing separate legislation. The relevant committee will have the opportunity to do so but there is one limitation in that there are times when, even though the resourcing and configuration of the judicial system are a matter for the Department of Justice, a committee like ours would probably have intimate knowledge of many...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: For clarity, is it a division of the High Court?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: General Scheme of the Planning and Development Bill 2022: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Mar 2023)

Eoin Ó Broin: If one wanted to have a greater allocation of dedicated resources, not just judges but also researchers and backroom staff, who I presume are key, you are talking about a division of the High Court, similar to the Commercial Court.