Results 1,061-1,080 of 6,904 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

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

Cian O'Callaghan: What we want here is for the housing strategy to talk about the existing and likely need for future housing, including houses, duplexes and apartments, including for purchase by intending owner-occupiers. We want the housing strategy to explicitly cover that. If it is hidden in the definitions, we have every chance that, when we get the housing strategies from different areas, they will not...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Most people understand, in common language, and this is how they will read this Bill as well, that there are houses, duplexes and apartments. Duplexes are specifically mentioned. In Dublin last year, 72% of new builds were what are traditionally know as apartments. Much less than that were what are traditionally known as houses and duplexes. We have an awful lot of apartments getting...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: The OPC specifically advised to mention duplexes but not apartments?

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Why does that advice then not apply to duplexes?

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

Cian O'Callaghan: As are duplexes, so why does that advice not apply to duplexes?

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

Cian O'Callaghan: We have been discussing amendment No. 909 but the Minister of State has not yet responded on it.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: It was linked.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: In the context of what I outlined, does the Minister of State accept there is a problem, which is that most new builds in Dublin are apartments? It was 72% last year. The bulk of them are not available for individuals or families to buy. Does the Minister of State accept it is a problem that a minority of people who want to right-size to apartments in communities where apartments go up are...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: My amendment allows for that.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: There has been some suggestion that my proposal to the effect that at least 50% of new-build apartments would be available for individuals and families to buy, except in cases of social and affordable housing, affordable rental or purpose-built student accommodation, could be a blunt instrument. However, the current situation is not working and is incredibly blunt. We are close to 0% of...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: On viability, not only does Part V assist with viability by putting downward pressure on land prices, it also helps with the viability of projects in terms of there being a certain percentage of guaranteed sales that the developer knows it will get. That helps with financing of the project and its entire viability because the developer is guaranteed 20% upfront sales. That helps developers...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: Briefly, I want to strongly support these amendments. They are incredibly important. We are at a time when huge asks are being made of a lot of people with regard to climate change. For us to effectively not make similar asks of developers is completely inequitable, when you think of what other sectors are doing. The built environment is one of the biggest contributors to our carbon...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: It works very well when it is done, does it not?

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I will come in on this point and then Deputy Ó Broin can come in. I have not sought to amend and change section 377.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: I am trying to build on section 377 and ensure this process is used, because it is rarely used now, as the Minister of State will know. The CPO powers in this section, which are similar to those in the existing legislation, allow local authorities to buy up land needed for housing. This is good. The problem is this power is not being used. What I am seeking to ensure, therefore, is that...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: A huge amount of work was done on the Law Reform Commission report on CPO reform. I appreciate there is some additional work to be done at Department level or at the Minister of State’s end. However, given the amount of work that was done on it, why was that not incorporated into the Bill?

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

Cian O'Callaghan: At least the Minister of State is honest by saying “in time”. He is not giving us false hope of the speed of it. I wish to make one final point. I will use my constituency as an example. Much of the housing in my constituency was built because the local authority compulsorily purchased the land. It identified the housing need. The State put in the infrastructure. The...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: That is my very point. There is nothing to stop this happening. That is my very point.

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

Cian O'Callaghan: So we are in agreement on that. What we might also agree on is that it is not happening and it needs to happen. My amendment seeks to make sure this will happen. Rather than just having these provisions in the legislation that could be used and having housing strategies that clearly identify the need for the housing, there will be an obligation on a local authority to figure out the amount...

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

Cian O'Callaghan: The Government is parting ways when it comes to the actual action we need to solve it.