Results 8,621-8,640 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: Did any of the associations present today attend discussions on the original LDA Bill? As Senator Boyhan and Deputy McAuliffe have said, we would be delighted to engage further with the AILG, LAMA and the CCMA on any of the legislation going through here. I think it was probably an omission on behalf of the previous committee not to have those associations attend for the pre-legislative...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: The committee has had the opportunity to meet the LDA and tease out some of its plans. My understanding from those meetings is that its main purpose is not to purchase local authority land. Its main purpose is to assist local authorities in developing these lands, helping with the design, all that planning aspect as well as the financial aspect. I understand the concern about section...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I invite Councillor Sheahan to respond first because I skipped him on the last round.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I call on Senator Fitzpatrick. We only have two or three minutes left.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: We have two or three minutes left. If the AILG wishes to respond, it may.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I will give Councillors Hoade and Sheahan a minute or so to wrap up. We are just out of time. Do they wish to make a final comment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Councillors Malone, Anglim, Sheahan, Colgan, Fennelly and Hoade for their attendance today. This committee deals with housing, local government, planning and heritage, which are all key areas in which local government delivers. We previously had the CCMA and the approved housing bodies before the committee with regard to the affordable housing Bill. We would welcome further...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: Could we get a brief and direct answer to that?

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Climate Change Policy (5 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: 145. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the basis for microgeneration not being included in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021, a concept previously referenced in the Climate Action Plan 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22805/21]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Licences (5 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: 159. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the position regarding a previous commitment that if implemented would allow asylum seekers to apply for Irish driver licenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22953/21]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (5 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: 321. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the position regarding the Departmental working group that was set up to investigate potential amendments to building regulations to require changing places (details supplied) in suitable public buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23213/21]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Planning Guidelines (5 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: 322. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the position regarding the roll-out of a nationwide e-planning system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23214/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Report of the Covid-19 Rapid Testing Group: Discussion with Science Foundation Ireland (5 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I want to go back to what Professor Ferguson said at the outset about the SAGE report and the testing being carried out in the UK. Is the UK carrying out that testing at the moment and could we learn from any mistakes, or what it is doing at the moment, rather than proceeding straightaway to a pilot? Is that a more effective way of assessing whether serial testing would work? Is Professor...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Report of the Covid-19 Rapid Testing Group: Discussion with Science Foundation Ireland (5 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: The committee should try to pursue the matter of the authorities here working in tandem with their UK counterparts. I do not imagine things would be that different, logistically or behaviourally.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Engagement with the Office of the Planning Regulator (4 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: We are joined by Mr. Niall Cussen, planning regulator and chief executive at the Office of the Planning Regulator, OPR, and Ms Anne Marie O'Connor, also from the OPR. Members have been circulated with the witnesses' submission. I will first ask Mr. Cussen to make his opening statement and members will then be invited to address their questions. They will have five or six minutes for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Engagement with the Office of the Planning Regulator (4 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Cussen. Despite the word "planning" being dropped from the title of this committee, we still take planning very seriously in our role covering housing, local government and heritage. As we all know, a good planning system with a good forward planning and development and consent process, which is transparent and democratic, followed up with enforcement when things do not go so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Engagement with the Office of the Planning Regulator (4 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I am sorry but I have to interrupt. Perhaps we could ask Ms O'Connor to contribute at a later stage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Engagement with the Office of the Planning Regulator (4 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Cussen. I have to interrupt as we are up to seven minutes on that. Eplanning is important. I have put down questions on it to try to get an overall eplanning system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Engagement with the Office of the Planning Regulator (4 May 2021)

Steven Matthews: That is right. It is my turn to ask questions. How does Mr. Cussen's office issue recommendations and directions that then come from the Minister? I have been at council meetings, as many of us probably have, where the Department, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, the National Transport Authority, NTA, the chief executive or the senior planners may be advising councillors not to adopt...