Results 1,401-1,420 of 6,904 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (9 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 1088. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when appropriate accommodation will be provided for those seeking international protection who are sleeping in tents; what immediate action he is taking to provide proper accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13974/24]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 1056. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what immediate action he is taking to increase the numbers of childcare places available; if he is aware that parents are being refused for waiting lists due to the high levels of oversubscription in some childcare facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13592/24]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Asylum Seekers (9 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 1181. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider providing travel passes for asylum seekers who are sleeping rough or in camps in order that they can commute back and forth from the city centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15394/24]

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Animal Welfare (9 Apr 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: 1726. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if, in relation to the high-level stakeholder group on the control of dogs, she will provide information (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14351/24]

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: While the example I will use relates to section 82(3)(a) and (b), this relates to subsection (3) and (4) in effect. The concern I have, as I outlined yesterday, is if, for example, a developer applies for planning permission that involves land they do not own but that is in public ownership - let us say a public park or open space. If the local authority executive has given the developer...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Just to clarify, a member of local authority may want to apply. Would they be covered under section 82(3)(b)(iv) "a person who has a legal or beneficial interest in the land"?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Would this be the case even though they are not the planning authority? They are an elected member of the local authority but they are not the planning authority.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, but they would have no recourse to the courts. If they felt a decision had been taken by the council executive without consulting the elected members to give written consent for the use of a public park or open space to a developer, they would not have any recourse to challenge that in the courts if this goes through. Is that the case?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Will the Minister of State provide a note to us on it?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: It will be looked at to address the issues. I thank the Minister of State.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I have the same concerns. Does the Minister of State stand over what we have been told to date by the Minister about section 83 and amendment No. 605? Given the publication of extracts of the letter from the Attorney General, is he now updating the Government's position in relating to this amendment or does he absolutely stand over what the Minister has said to date in respect of this matter?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I have a comment about the statement that there has been no lobbying in this regard. The senior Minister has stated this, as has the Minister of State who is present. According to the article that was published, there were four meetings between the developer in question and the special adviser to the senior Minister. Are any minutes or records of those meetings available? Will they be...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: They have been recorded in the lobbying register.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes, but the Minister of State is telling us definitively that there was no lobbying in relation to this amendment. There have been four meetings between the developer-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: -----and the special adviser to the Minister-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: -----who is located in the Department. Were the minutes of those meetings to be published, we would be able to see what issues were or were not discussed during those meetings. Transparency around that would help shed some light on this.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: But a minute ago, the Minister of State said he was not even aware that these meetings took place. They are in the lobbying register, so they did take place. If the Minister of State is not aware that the meetings took place, how can he tell us that there was no lobbying in relation to this? If he did not know that the meetings took place, then he does not know what took place in those...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: But the Minister's adviser presumably has interactions with the Department all the time. Is that not the case?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I thank the Cathaoirleach. There are two issues I want to address, namely, the taking-in-charge process and bonds. I will deal with bonds first, which I address in amendment No. 625. Much of what is contained in the Bill is about planning ahead in terms of newer housing developments and so on. As a public representative since 2009, a lot of my time has been spent working with residents...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Mar 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I will press this. The situation to date has been an abject failure. It has put huge costs on local authorities and the public. As Deputy Ó Broin said, it is the new residents who move into areas who make the largest investment of their lifetimes. They put huge resources and work very hard to buy a home and expect that the public areas in the development will be completed as per the...