Results 181-200 of 1,054,699 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Eamon Gilmore OR speaker:Josepha Madigan OR speaker:Kathleen Funchion OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh26 OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh31)
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: I agree 100% with the Cathaoirleach.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Steven Matthews: I am pleased to see renewable energy being part of this. We have not had one mention of climate in this room even though it is the number one consideration. Apportioning the onshore portions to places will not happen without the wind guidelines being in place. The same may be said of housing growth. When one looks at the comments of the OPR in its 2022 report, there is concern about the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Steven Matthews: At Deputy Leddin's suggestion, we will be inviting the Ministers in. We can put that question in September to the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon. I put it to the Minister of State during the Housing for All update. I have Deputy Leddin down first in the third round followed by Deputy Ó Broin and Senator Pauline O'Reilly.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Steven Matthews: I would be surprised if the Deputy were finished.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: Let me continue with some of this discussion. On page 143 of the amendment document, a table sets out targets for onshore renewable wind and solar energy. Is that the first time those targets have been set out in a statutory fashion or have they been transposed from somewhere else?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: To be clear, that table is not indicative; as it is actually part of national policy objective 75 it has the legal weight of that policy objective. That raises a couple of interesting questions. Again, this is not to argue against the targets that are there. It relates to the Cathaoirleach's legitimate question regarding the onshore wind regulations. In some ways, the document seems to be...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: I assume there will be a revision in light of this policy objective and its outworking through the regional assemblies.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: When these targets were being set, both in terms of the total amount and the regional distribution, what were they based on? They obviously are not based on the current development plans or the regional spatial and economic strategies. I am interested to know where they came from.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: There is a regional distribution and then there is a distribution across a number of categories. How is the regional distribution established? Is it set out in the climate action plan?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: The energise capacity for the eastern and midland region is 284 MW, which is a very small amount out of the total of 4,667 MW. This is just a query. It is not a criticism. Why is the eastern and midland region target for the energise capacity so low, as set out in the column I am referring to, compared with the targets for the other two regions? Is it reflective of a higher existing level...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: There is already a higher level of energise capacity in the eastern and midland region. Therefore, what it is expected to deliver over the next period is lower.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: Does the next column represent the additionality that needs to be achieved arising from this national policy objective?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: Okay. My question then, to flip that, is whether the figure for the southern region is lower than the other two because it has a higher level of energise capacity currently.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: I do not see a similar national policy objective for offshore wind energy. Is that because this document is not the right place for it? Perhaps it fits within the marine spatial plan. Is there a comparable table in that plan for offshore wind?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: This is just a query. Is there no comparable spatial distribution of the overall targets set out in the climate action plan?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: Sure. What is significant about this policy objective is that, in respect of onshore wind, it takes the macro targets from the climate action plan and says the regional distribution of those targets should be as per the table provided. There is nothing comparable anywhere for offshore wind. Am I correct in that?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: Yes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: It will be done as the DMAPs roll out?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: However, at a State-wide level, there has been no attempt to set out what the spatial distribution should be in respect of offshore wind. I just want to understand the situation. In regard to onshore wind, there is a setting out of the regional distribution. With offshore, decisions on regional distribution are being left to the DMAP process, with the requirement that the sum of the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)
Eoin Ó Broin: Will the witnesses run through the figures for the compact growth targets again? Have they changed from the earlier version? If I knew the page in the amended document, I could flip through it. This is to continue the conversation Deputy Leddin started.