Results 1,881-1,900 of 6,908 for speaker:Cian O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I have, yes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: And on what I said as well.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I do not want to get into a lengthy discussion about committees and legislation. We have had long discussions around "may" and "shall". We all understand the implications of it. If the Government considers plans or documents to be relevant and appropriate, it is hard to understand why the legal obligation would just be "may". There is a huge amount of discretion anyway in that the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I take the point that there are certain areas that could be added to the list or, indeed, it could be “all Oireachtas committees”, although perhaps not some of the committees that are not listed here. I accept that all of them could have a perspective on it. In terms of the Bill overall, there is a whole range of issues that are ongoing and that affect people in local...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: It is not obvious and, as Deputy Boyd Barrett said, to be compliant with that could mean an email or a letter to every Member of the Oireachtas to say “This is happening if you want to submit any views.” While there is a use to that, it is very different from a structured approach or engagement with the Oireachtas committees. Members of Oireachtas are inundated with different...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Amendment No. 174 is an amendment to line 33, which states: In page 63, line 33, after “prescribed.” to insert the following: “Such prescribed documents shall include at least information on the following: (a) current information on current and projected population and demographics, including on net-migration and inward migration, coastal and flood related retreats,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes. This is an amendment to section 22(2) of the Bill.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Yes.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: It follows on from the discussion we were just having. Some of the issues here are listed in the amendment. They are things like "coastal and flood related retreats", "biodiversity loss", "greenhouse gas emissions", "air quality" and "water quality". They are highly relevant and very important. Maybe it is already an intention of the Minister to ensure that all these are prescribed, but,...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Just to reflect health and well-being and that being dealt with through guidance being issued, there is nothing in this amendment to stop guidance being issued in those areas. This amendment is about review of the national planning framework and what documents should be-----

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Okay but what we seek to try to do in the amendment, because we feel these areas are so important, is to make sure it is in the legislation. I appreciate it could be done by guidance but a lot of things could be done by guidance and we are trying to have this not be a matter of discretion. We are trying to have it as a statutory obligation.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I appreciate that but there could be a change of Government when this is done. There could be Ministers who do not put importance on these issues. Having it in the legislation would ensure that no matter whether there is a change of Government or not these issues around biodiversity loss, status of protected sites, air quality, water quality, well-being and human health and so forth would...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I support the amendment. Having a definition of "community garden" in legislation is important. It will be helpful if that is done. Earlier today and yesterday, when dealing with the planning process and the national planning framework, we had a good discussion on the importance of well-being and health. Among their numerous benefits, community gardens contribute to well-being and human...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: Prior to area plans, there are five years for urban plans or is that for the co-ordinated area plans? Before the amendment, it was just one year rather than five years. With the amendment, it will be five years. Was there a rationale for having those as only for one year initially. Why is this? Clearly that was a deliberate difference in the initial draft of the Bill. Why is this being...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I appreciate that it takes time and resources to do co-ordinated area plans, priority area plans and urban plans. There is no question about that. The difficulty I have is with the change. The Bill states the principal planning authority shall "commence" the process, not that it should complete or finish the process or anything like that. It "shall commence" the preparation. It shall...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: The amendment is worded to have flexibility because that is a key point we are making with the amendment. There are areas that are complex and technical and require longer, such as where a notice is being issued or there is public consultation. More complex and technical areas often require getting expertise, whereas in the case of a more straightforward notice without complexities and...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: On public consultation, public notices and public display periods, there is often a huge gap between the view of those who run consultations regarding how inclusive those consultations are and the view of the public. People running consultations will often feel they are doing a great job in making information available but the general public will have a very different experience. The public...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: They do. I have heard it recently – obviously, it is an exaggeration – with regard to their experience of public consultation and displays.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: No. I will not give it. We are not on section 42 of the Bill; we are on section 16. My issue with the wording of section 16 is that it is the Office of the Planning Regulator, the regional assembly and the planning authority that decide what is considered reasonable. It is not decided in legislation. Through our amendment, we are trying to put some shape on this. Where there is good...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (29 Feb 2024)

Cian O'Callaghan: I am always as brief as possible.