Results 14,841-14,860 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Report of the Joint Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services: Motion (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I recognise and respect the spectrum of views that people have in this House and across the country on the provision of domestic water and how we fund it. This is a very political and emotive issue for many people. However, as a country, we have allowed ourselves to be convulsed by a negative and divisive debate in respect of it for far too long. My focus on water since taking office as...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 1:In page 5, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: "(2) This Act, other than Part 4 and Schedule 3 at reference numbers 12 to 18, and the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2016 may be cited together as the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2017 and shall be construed together as one.". Section 1 contains the standard provisions relating to the Short...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 2:In page 5, line 21, to delete “Part 14and section 2” and substitute “section 2and Part 4and where otherwise expressly provided for”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 3:In page 5, between lines 26 and 27, to insert the following:“ “Act of 2016” means the Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016;”. I would like a little guidance from the Chairman. I can deal with the Government amendments in this group of amendments. Does the Chairman want me to deal with the Opposition...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: In moving amendment No. 3, I will address Government amendments Nos. 3, 22, 47, 54 and 55 first, followed by Opposition amendments Nos. 57 to 59, inclusive, together. Regarding amendment No. 3, section 2 provides for the necessary definitions of terms used in the Bill. The Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Act 2016 has been enacted since the publication of this...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I think the Deputy and I would have much agreement on these areas. If he wishes to talk to us about redrafting the amendments in such a way that they would be ruled in order as opposed to out of order, we could try to accommodate the thrust of those concerns at a later Stage. We will happily work with him on that if he so wishes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 4:In page 5, line 27, to delete “Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government” and substitute “Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government”. Amendment No. 4 is a minor amendment to correct the definition of the term "the Minister". I am sure other people might like to do that in a different way. In section...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: If I may speak generally, this is not a Bill that should be dealt with in any kind of party political way. The Government should not be trying to force anything through that is in any way inappropriate. I am very anxious to work with other Deputies to get the legislation right. We are talking about our planning structures and procedures. My only goal is to ensure that we have as much...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I will make a general comment before going through the individual amendments. A judgment call is required here in what we are trying to do as regards where the buck should stop on decisions to intervene to correct an inappropriate decision or to respond to corruption, although if it is a breach of the law it should involve the Garda. Ultimately, we are proposing in the Bill that the office...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I accepted amendment No. 14.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I will respond, in particular, to some of Deputy Ó Broin's comments. I made the comparison with a beefed up chief planner's office in the Department. That is in the context of the recommendation for a Minister to intervene in terms of a local area plan or whatever. We have had this discussion in the Department. The question has been put to me: "What if one gets a pig-headed...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: We are spending a lot of time on this but it is the core of the whole thing so we will be able to zip through the other amendments quickly. That is up to the Chair, I am sure we will spend some time on them. The actual powers and the interaction between this office, the Minister and local authorities is key to this legislation. We are trying to get the balance right with democratic...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: Yes. I have a speaking note on the amendments but I would rather speak directly on them. I would not accept that people have not been working to ensure that we have compliance and consistency with some of these directives. We had a very active debate on the water framework directive in recent days, which would respond to one of Deputy Eamon Ryan's points. My concern is that if we list the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I have just said we will look at doing that.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I want to make sure I am being consistent in what I am saying. In the proposed draft legislation there is a specific mention of the habitats directive and the birds directive. We also mention the environmental impact assessment directive and the strategic environmental assessment directive. We refer more generally to the requirements of relevant Acts of the European Union. Please allow me...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 22:In page 15, line 14, to delete “(2) Where” and substitute “(3) Where”.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: My understanding is that this is covered and that the Bill, as drafted, already makes sufficient provisions for the investigation of complaints by the office of the planning regulator and ensures that these complaints can, where appropriate, be referred to more appropriate statutory authorities, including the Ombudsman, the Standards in Public Office Commission or An Garda Síochána,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: Yes, that is my understanding. Section 31AU reads:(1) The office may examine— (a) complaints made by any person to the Office, or (b) where requested by the Minister, complaints made by a person to the Minister. In other words, if someone writes to the Minister to inform him or her that a corrupt decision has been made on any given week in a local authority and that he or she needs...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I do think there is adequate provision in the Bill. Subsection (2) also reads "may be applying systematic discrimination in the conduct of its functions". Therefore, if, for example, a decision is being made - well, the Deputy does not need me to give him examples of discrimination. I think the point is made.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2017)

Simon Coveney: I wish to make the point to Deputy Ó Broin that we do accept amendments that are well thought through and well argued.