Results 1,561-1,580 of 26,006 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: First, one of the key purposes of the new guidelines that are being produced for the Gaeltacht areas is for a language impact statement to be provided. That is accepted. I apologise for reading from my phone but I want to be clear. I refer to the current development guidelines issued to local authorities in 2022 in respect of Gaeltacht areas. I purposely looked at this. There are a number...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Could I-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: No, but I will answer the Deputy's question. It is important that I put on record what is the current position. Section 7.6(c)(4) states: That development proposals in Gaeltacht areas have a positive impact on the linguistic and cultural heritage that can be robustly assessed at planning application stage - some forms or scales of development may not be appropriate; That is standard.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: It should be an important consideration but it is not the only one. With due respect, planning is an inexact science.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is not binary.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: They are the 2022 guidelines for development plans.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: The 2022 development guidelines, as currently provided, clearly indicate that local authorities should take it into account as part of their consideration. It is not the only factor.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: They are the facts. To provide absolute certainty in the area, we are currently working with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to deal with the linguistic impact statement in terms of the speaking of the Irish language. That is currently being finalised with that Department. That will provide specific planning guidelines for Gaeltacht areas.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are working on the guidelines. It is one of the considerations. It cannot be the only consideration.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Currently, under the existing guidelines it is one of the considerations, but it is not the only one. If local authorities wish – Deputy Ó Broin will appreciate that development plans are a reserved function of the councillors – there is nothing to stop them incorporating a linguistic impact statement into the development plan as part of their considerations for planning...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: They will obviously go for public redraft, which is the normal process. They may not have to go to Europe. It will depend on how people view them.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: They are primarily to cover the Gaeltacht language areas. Once again, the current development guidelines that we have speak about boundary areas anyway. To have an integrated approach they would have to take into account other areas as well, but the guidelines are primarily about the areas where the Irish language is spoken, the Gaeltacht areas. On a general note, this is hugely...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Yes, absolutely.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is it. It will speak about that in a general sense as well. We are moving towards a ministerial statement to provide that level of consistency.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: That is something that is currently being looked at by the Department of the Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The Deputy makes a valid point but all those matters will be considered as part of the new guidelines.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are hoping to get them out as quickly as possible but we are working across Departments. We are in discussions with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is our intention to get them out as quickly as possible.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is bringing forward legislation. We will deal with the planning aspect.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Deputy O'Callaghan switched to amendment No. 47 about the short-term lettings, which I can deal with.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: Okay, I am sorry.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Feb 2024)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is not in this group. Does the Deputy want to leave it then?