Results 12,341-12,360 of 25,880 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Student Accommodation (9 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Section 3.6.3 of Housing for All (Facilitate Lending for Social and Affordable Housing) foresees the Housing Finance Agency's (HFA) role being expanded to enhance the supply of student accommodation by allowing them to lend to Technological Universities (TUs). A commitment is made to legislate for this and the relevant Action Point in Housing for All is 18.10 with delivery expected Quarter 2...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (9 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am sure you do. So do I.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: That is outrageous.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Hear, hear.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: We have discussed at length this proposal to delete section 28(1C) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. I listened to the Deputy and others speak about it on Committee Stage and set out their reasons for supporting it. It would have a wide-ranging effect insofar as it would remove the legislative provision introduced to empower a Minister to ensure we have a nationally...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand it. The Deputy need not worry about that.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Which amendment is the Deputy's?

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: We have to, and do, understand the distinction between pre-planning and planning. We also discussed this in committee. A lot of pre-planning does not go to planning. Deputies have referenced that when looking at large planning files and trying to track changes throughout, it can be complex. We have to figure out the best way to do this. There is something in the PPN piece. I could not...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Great. If Deputy Ó Broin has applied for a 25-storey apartment block and the local authority has said it is highly inappropriate and should not happen, people will be able to see that and point to that in their observations. If that goes to An Bord Pleanála, there are other issues there which we will deal with. That is all part of the process. That is transparency. The passing...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: There were many comments on this.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: Is Deputy Pringle coming in?

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: If Deputy Pringle comes in, I will come back in after him.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I am talking about communities.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Pringle and all the other Deputies who have contributed. I will deal with a couple of matters relating to the process. To follow on from Deputy O'Callaghan's point, no one would state, and I certainly have not, that this Bill is the silver bullet to solve our issues in the planning process. It is not. Likewise, I agree with Deputy Ó Broin that the return to the...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not mind. I have no objection but is that permitted under Standing Orders?

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I will be guided by the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on this but I have no objection.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: We do not always have to divide. Sometimes there is unanimity.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputies Boyd Barrett, Gino Kenny, Paul Murphy and Bríd Smith for tabling these amendments. We discussed this at some length on Committee Stage and we had a good engagement where I was able to explain the rationale behind this. I agree with Deputy Healy-Rae. I know he is not a member of the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage so he did not take part in that...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2021)

Darragh O'Brien: We cannot do everything at once. We are bringing that back to our councils, where it should be. In a compliment to Deputy Boyd Barrett, Deputy Healy-Rae said no one would know the housing needs in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown better than him. I put it to him that maybe the only people who would are the planners in that area and that is the purpose of this. We cannot be, nor should we be,...