Results 1-20 of 5,332 for speaker:Alan Dillon

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: First, I want to thank all the Senators for raising the issues on Committee Stage of this Bill.There has been criticism of the guillotine on Wednesday but we are offering up to 25 hours to debate the Bill between now and then. It does not undermine the role and responsibility that Seanad Éireann has in the legislative process. The Bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: I thank all the Senators. First, I will address the comments from Senator Boyhan in relation to the chief planning officer. While his suggestions have merits, the directors of services have strategic leadership responsibilities in each local authority and a management role. They are equipped with several different competencies and do not just have a single profession or area of expertise....

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: We will be guided by the advice of the Attorney General and his office on the response. We will be open and transparent on Report Stage about what has been presented to the Government on the Aarhus Convention. Until then, I do not have anything further to add.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: Regarding Senator Burke's comment around local authority members and their engagement around development plans and the content, they must be in one sense consistent with the national plan and framework and policies of the Government but also with proper planning around sustainable development. At any stage, local authority members can make a variation to their local area plan or the country...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: I take the Senator's point. The key word in the section is "prescribed". For example, a retail warehouse is very different from a convenience supermarket. In that context, "prescribed" determines where this fits into the Bill.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: Senators raised points on what is prescribed for one particular use, and various analogies around takeaways, retail units and betting shops were made. What is important here is that the type of use of a facility has an impact in various ways, whether it relates to traffic management, opening hours, noise disturbance or size. The important thing is that we specify a premises' prescribed use...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: As I said previously to the Senator, it impacts on different types of originally prescribed planning that was previously granted in relation to that unit

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: Yes, and I think there are implications for traffic, size and scale, opening hours, etc. and these are all factored in.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: Amendment No. 17, as proposed by Senators Moynihan, Hoey, Sherlock and Wall, seeks to place a ban on material change-in-use permissions for recently developed student accommodation for a period of 15 years following completion. While I acknowledge the good intent behind this amendment, the planning system as it currently exists, as well as the system envisaged under the Bill, requires...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: Can I confirm that the Government amendments in the first group, namely, amendments Nos. 5, 7 and 8, were moved previously?

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: Amendment No. 8, too.

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: I previously addressed amendment No. 17, which deals with developed student accommodation. I propose now to speak to Opposition amendments Nos. 18 to 26, inclusive, and amendment No. 28. Amendments Nos. 18 to 20, inclusive, are all related to short-term letting and various Senators have made comments on that issue. We are awaiting the short-term letting Bill from the Department of tourism....

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Senators for their contributions on sections 10 and 11. Section 10 deals with declarations on development and exempted development and section 11 provides that such declaration shall be conclusive evidence in relevant proceedings brought by an enforcement authority, a local authority or the DPP against a person who requested the declaration unless it is proved that the person...

Seanad: Planning and Development Bill 2023: Committee Stage (15 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: I will clarify some matters concerning exempted development declarations. The only answer to the question of whether a development is an exempted development is that this provision does not make the development exempted. This is important. A development will have to adhere to enforcement proceedings. Indeed, all planning decisions are on the planning register and publicly available. In...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Department of House, Local Government and Heritage (11 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Cathaoirleach and members of the committee for the invitation to be here this morning to address the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community. I welcome the opportunity to provide an update on the delivery of accommodation for Travellers. I am joined by the following officials from my Department: Mr. David Kelly, assistant secretary with responsibility for...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Department of House, Local Government and Heritage (11 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: We will take all the findings from the evaluation process into consideration to ensure, to the Deputy's point, that the scheme is fit for purpose. The figure of €40,000 was based on when the scheme was being put in place and being piloted. It has been successful in many ways but, to take the Deputy's point, cost considerations need to be factored into the new scheme and setting the...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Department of House, Local Government and Heritage (11 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: It is important to have true and accurate information on where Travellers live and their accommodation preferences. The Department noted the findings of the 2022 annual estimates of accommodation of Traveller families, which indicted there were 12,183 Traveller households in the State, of which 79% were in standard accommodation and 21% were in Traveller-specific accommodation. I hope to...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Department of House, Local Government and Heritage (11 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: Regarding the Senator’s question on the implementation of the Oireachtas joint committee recommendations but also regarding the expert group’s implementation, in March of this year, we supplied the most up-to-date positions on progress on the implementation report. We also published the programme board update in May of this year. We have presented two sets of updates on the...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Department of House, Local Government and Heritage (11 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: Under the Traveller accommodation programme, it is important we have an on-the-ground assessment linked with the number of Traveller-specific households who require Traveller-specific accommodation, be it in group housing schemes or halting site bays, but also there is a preference for many Traveller families to be housed within social housing. We are providing support through Housing for...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation (Resumed): Department of House, Local Government and Heritage (11 Jul 2024)

Alan Dillon: I thank the Deputy for his line of questions. I will take his question on the recommendations for the national Traveller accommodation authority. I recognise that the programme board is actively considering the recommendation for the national Traveller accommodation authority. It is one of the key recommendations in the expert review group. I understand from my officials that there is work...