Results 1-20 of 4,573 for speaker:Brian Leddin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: Deputy Ó Broin is correct in guessing where I am going to go with this. I want to have a talk about balanced regional development. Before that, I echo Senator Cummins's thanks to the Cathaoirleach for his work as Chair of this committee. I am not a member of this committee but, as Chair, he has been very welcoming to non-members like me who take an interest in matters like the one we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. Hussey for that. I would certainly be concerned that we are at the end of the road with the draft. It is regarding how we achieve true balanced regional development. That is a term, like sustainability, whose meaning has been diluted over the years to the point that it does not really mean so much anymore. We do not talk about it in the kind of detail we should. I strongly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: From 2018, when the original NPF was published, we saw lower densities being stitched into city and county development plans outside of Dublin than we saw in Dublin. We saw far less ambition for the kind of infrastructure investment that would lead to the right kind of density to support the right kind of sustainable growth. It is a real concern for me that the current draft of the NPF...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: Maybe Mr. Hogan or his colleagues would like to address that. I do not know if there been much movement between the draft we saw in September and now with respect to those issues, because we did thrash them out in this room before.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: I do not want to be parochial about it but it applies to the other regional cities.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: In real numbers, it is not actually. We are talking about a 300,000 increase in population in the Dublin and eastern region. That is 1.5 times the size of Cork that is going to be targeted for this part of the country. If we speak about population in terms relative to the existing low population of the regional cities, it sounds like a lot, but actually it is not a lot in real numbers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: It does not, really. With respect, we should not look at it with regard to the existing populations of the regional cities, because this is a long-term strategic view, a vision for what the country can be. Therefore, it is the real numbers that matter, not the relative numbers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: I am conscious that I am over time. The numbers matter and the targets matter. If they are not sufficient to justify the State and the Government of the day spending on the kind of infrastructure that can support this kind of sustainable growth, then the numbers are wrong.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: Of course they do. However, looking at the numbers relative to the current populations of the regional cities is not the right way to do it. We will have 1 million extra people in the country by 2040. The question is where those people are going to live. It is not right to say that Dublin will increase by something more than 20% and Cork by 30% or 40%. In reality, the potential for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: I could come back in on that point but I am out of time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework (Resumed): Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: To add to that, the climate targets are fixed and the 2018 levels are there. The population is increasing consistently and there is economic growth. It comes back to the point that we must do this right because it will be impossible to achieve our legally binding targets unless we do it right. That is why this document is so important. I do not think it is right at the moment. It allows...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: I would say to Senator Higgins that the framing of the fast-tracking of fracking or liquefied natural gas infrastructure is strongly disputed. The Senator's view is her own. It is unfair to ask the witness to confirm her subjective view.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: The Senator would agree it is not fast-tracking.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: We do not have time to reopen the issue. It is the case that if some entity, whether the Government, a commercial entity or a private individual, were to apply to build such a facility, and, hopefully, we will never be in a situation where we need this horrendous fuel, then all of the legislation that recently passed means it would be treated as a strategic in nature and, therefore, it would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: As no other members are indicating, we have reached the end of the session. I thank the witnesses for their time. It has been a very informative session. I thank colleagues for their questions and their consistent interest in the annual COPs. This is the last meeting of this committee but, no doubt, the future iteration of the Joint Committee on the Environment and Climate Action will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: Thank you. I believe that view is shared by all members of the committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: Okay. I will go back to Senator Higgins as we will have time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: Sorry, Senator, but I want to give Deputy O'Rourke a chance to comment. The Senator has had a lot of time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP29: Discussion (5 Nov 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank Mr. Fitzpatrick for his opening statement. I will go to members now to ask questions. Would Deputy Murphy like to go first?