Results 1,041-1,060 of 4,716 for speaker:Malcolm Noonan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I will first address amendment No. 302 tabled by Deputies Ó Broin, Gould and Ó Snodaigh, which seeks to amend section 40(2) of the Bill by changing the period for commencing a review of a development plan from eight years after the last plan to seven years. I cannot accept this amendment as it would have consequential implications for other periods set out in the Bill for the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I have.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: That is it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I can appreciate it. Certainly, having been involved in several development plan processes when they were for a five-year period, I know the role is important for elected members. However, we are moving to a ten-year timeframe now and it has knock-on implications for the development planning process. In particular, the 99 week period has now been extended, as the Deputy will be aware. The...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: There is an opportunity under the interim review of a plan. The Bill provides for it to happen "not earlier than 4 years and not later than 4 years and 9 months". Officials have listened to councillors and local authority staff to consider this in terms of what is appropriate. There is an opportunity at the interim review for one-term councillors to have an input. If the Deputy wants to...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I agree wholeheartedly. I attended the launch of the National University of Ireland, NUI, Maynooth, research into the role of elected members at local level. Certainly, we should all take cognisance of it. It is an important report. In some cases it may seem there has been a diminution of a councillor's role. In other cases, there has actually been an enhancement of the role in recent...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Could the Deputy run that question again?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: As I said, all plans have to be materially compliant with the regional strategies and the national planning framework, and there is the OPR as well.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: When I say flexibility, it does not give the flexibility to a point where it is maybe not convenient to do something, or it is conflicting with the objectives of another local authority.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The critical thing out of this is that it will come to a point where development plans will align with each other. The kick-off time periods will be the same around the country, so there will be co-ordination between planners in each local authority as they are going through their development plan process. It is important to have that flexibility there. Plus, it is the oversight. You go...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I think that is a good way of summing it up. As I said, if you look at section 41(3)(f), that is the important part as well. It states: "... a statement demonstrating the manner in which the plan is coordinated with the integrated overall strategy of the development plan of any adjoining planning authority ..." I think that is the rationale behind it.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: I will come back to the Deputy on that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: On Deputy O'Callaghan's first question, section 9(4) of the Act of 2000 states: In making a development plan in accordance with this Chapter, a planning authority shall have regard to the development plans of adjoining planning authorities and shall co-ordinate the objectives in the development plan with the objectives in the plans of those authorities except where the planning authority...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Will I respond to each amendment individually? There is a grouping.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Amendments Nos. 338 to 340, inclusive, are related. I can deal with them individually.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Amendment No. 334, tabled by Deputy Duffy, seeks to require the prioritisation of and measures to facilitate "regeneration" in addition to compact urban development. The strategy must also, among other things, include objectives concerning the regulation of development, including the setting of appropriate development management policies and standards, for the purposes of promoting the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: In short, the answer is "Yes". The renewable energy reference covers it. I do not need to be prescriptive about it here but renewable energy covers district heating, anaerobic digestion and many other types of-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: The legislation refers to "energy generation infrastructure".

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: Yes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (20 Mar 2024)

Malcolm Noonan: First, it is not limited to rural areas. Sustainable rural development is a defined term. It is important in light of the reference to "sustainable development and regeneration" in the section heading. Section 42(1) states, "A planning authority shall prepare a strategy for the sustainable development and regeneration of the functional area of the planning authority." There is a reference...