Results 6,141-6,160 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I welcome everybody to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, including our guests and those watching online. The committee will consider the review of the planning legislation that is currently being carried out by the Office of the Attorney General. We are joined by officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, including Ms Maria Graham,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: There is scope within those various themes whereby we could have a couple of meetings for the committee to feed back and submit observations into that process as well. Then we get into the legislative part of it post September and up to December.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Thank you. That is very helpful. I will move to questions from members of the committee. Will Senator Fitzpatrick take the first slot, which is for Fianna Fáil?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Loud and clear.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Does Ms Graham wish to respond to the Deputy's questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I might just ask Ms Graham to respond to the Deputy's direct questions. Essentially, the paper that the committee has received is the same paper. That was one of the Deputy's questions. We are out of time on the slot. I will give Ms Graham the opportunity to respond to the points raised by the Deputy. I wish to make a point on timelines, as referred to by Deputy Ó Broin. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: A lot of comments and observations have been made. If the witnesses want to respond to them I will hold the clock.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I will allow Deputy Duffy back in to finish.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I only caught the end of Deputy O'Callaghan's contribution but he touched on public confidence in the planning system, which has to be foremost. Public confidence has been shaken over the years and in recent times. I will not go through the SHDs. They are finished and we have replaced them but public confidence was shaken there. It was previously described as the local area plan and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Will the input to that from local authorities, senior planners etc. and their observations on it be incorporated into this review?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I mention the submissions that come in from senior planners, chief executives or whoever it might be. Are those contributions taken in a round-table way or are they written submissions? Have they been asked to make a written submission to this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Are those submissions available to us on the committee? The more I talk to planners, the more I learn and sometimes I realise I am wrong.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Public engagement in the development plan is always to be desired but sometimes it is overwhelming for the public. It is a two-year process and sometimes you wonder if it is still ongoing and if it is still the same development plan and issues paper you were looking at a year and a half ago. Members of the public often put considerable time and effort into going to many of the public...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: It is worth pointing out as well that the national marine planning framework public consultation has been selected by the European Commission as a best practice exemplar of public consultation. We note that we have that public consultation capacity. It is worth noting when we do things like that so well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: When the phrase "shall have regard to" is used, can somebody explain that? Does it mean you need to comply with it or just to have a look at it and provide reasons you did or did not comply with it? It is a phrase that confuses me in planning, when reference is made to "shall have regard to" the guidance or objectives.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: As long as you provide a reasonable consideration of why you disregard it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: Those kinds of things have been out there for so long. We could take this opportunity to tie them up and make it a clearer "you must" or "you shall".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: It is like the point I made earlier about zoning objectives or strategic local objectives. One strategic local objective I worked on that sticks in my mind is where we wanted a certain amount of land set aside for a park. In our mind, that would be one full park. The developer came along and decided it would be several little pocket parks. It has not proceeded and I do not know where it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Review and Consolidation of Planning Legislation: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (26 May 2022)

Steven Matthews: I heard a director of service once say that when he started the county plan was about as thick as the development plan. When I see what councillors get now, it is a pack of volumes. It is impossible for them to get through all that. It is very difficult, so I favour streamlining that. Does Senator Boyhan wish to comment?