Results 6,381-6,400 of 28,221 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I move amendment No. 795: In page 311, line 37, to delete “permission for retention” and substitute “retention permission”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Is this section 169(g)?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I followed a lot of it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will start with Deputy O'Callaghan. I happen to agree with his point. I think the regulations that govern the provision of childcare facilities, particularly the ratio of homes to childcare facilities, go back to about 2001. Coincidentally, while the committee was sitting yesterday, I had a couple of meetings with regard to what we are going to do in that space. We are carrying out a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The first one relates to section 169(2). Yes, it could be used for the purpose stated by the Deputy. It is not set out specifically for that reason but it does allow for the ability to waive fees.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: There are current waivers for charities, for argument's sake. I refer as well to where there are elected members and where their observations, whether I agree with them or not, are made. The Deputy will be aware of this aspect. Some local authorities have very strict criteria around what can be included in an observation in respect of where a fee would be waived. For argument's sake, some...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: No.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Yes, it is a carryover. There is nothing new in that section.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: It is only in the preliminary stage. I have actually-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We will have to engage with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as well because some of this crosses over to its area of responsibility as well. Certainly, however, in relation to the provision of new childcare facilities in new developments, in my view there can be issues in this regard, especially around the ratio. We would, though, have to do this in a...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I cannot give the Deputy a timeframe in this context but I can respond to him directly on this matter. We are at the preliminary stage with regard to a review.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: That again speaks to the point.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: No.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I was only mentioning that by way of example. It is not the case in all of Britain, but the local authorities in England, for example, have a much greater input there and areas of responsibility in that regard. Just by way of an example, I was saying that in England when a childcare facility is provided as part of a housing development, the shell or the core of the facility is actually...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Exactly.