Results 101-120 of 1,051,529 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Danny Healy-Rae OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Steven Matthews) in 'Committee meetings'

Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (11 Jul 2024)

Patrick Costello: This legislation has received a broad welcome from Deputies and the farming organisations. However, there is a broader issue here in the context of how we approach rights and obligations and the enforcement of same. To be blunt, we have created a Byzantine mess of quasi-judicial bodies. There is ultimately a risk of constitutional weakness, vulnerability and challenge to many of these and...

Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (11 Jul 2024)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I welcome the Bill. In everything we do in this area, our concern is that there be fairness for farmers. It is also about bringing the enjoyment back into farming. The Minister knows all about the various schemes, the associated bureaucracy and everything that has happened over the years. I accept completely that there must be proper governance of everything that is done. However, the...

Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (11 Jul 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I welcome the legislation and commend the Minister for making it happen. I know this was a commitment that was made, not least in the programme for Government. It is good to see the legislation before the House this afternoon. The Minister mentioned the pre-legislative scrutiny undertaken by the committee on agriculture and the report that was published subsequently. I am very glad that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Steven Matthews: I welcome everybody to the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The committee meets this afternoon as part of the consultation on the draft national planning framework, NPF. We are joined by the following officials from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Mr. Paul Hogan, acting assistant secretary in the planning division; Ms Alma Walsh, senior...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Hogan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I thank Mr. Hogan and his team for the presentation and their work to date. I agree with the Chair, although this is not in any way a criticism of Mr. Hogan or his team, given we understand it was a decision of the Government, that we will definitely need a meeting in September. Moreover, although this is also an issue for the Minister rather than for the officials, the 12 September...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I get that, but this is a draft we will respond to and, obviously, while it might change, the Department has stated a number that is different from that of the ESRI or the Housing Commission. I am just interested to know how that number was derived.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I am honestly not being in any way belligerent, but the question is a simple one. The Department has stated a figure in the document and there is a reason that figure was chosen. According to the ESRI's report, structural demand will comprise on average 44,000 and the Housing Commission has calculated 60,000, adding 16,000 to the former figure Why is 50,000 the starting position?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: That is for structural demand.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: However, again, that does not answer the question as to why the figure is 50,000, because that does not make a reasonable allowance for the pent-up demand. We have one assessment of pent-up demand. It would have been much better if the ESRI had also been asked to carry out an assessment but, obviously, that was not permitted by the Government. The Housing Commission's report is not only...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I will finish on that point, because I do not agree. I do not believe it is reasonable and I do not believe that Mr. Hogan privately thinks it is reasonable either, but that is just my own view. The Housing Commission is telling us that over the same period, we need an average of at least 60,000 homes. If 50,000 was reasonable over the Department's trajectory, we would be under-delivering...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: I fully accept that it is a document out to 2040 - that is in its title - but some of the revisions the Department has made to it are based on the assessment of what has worked or what has not worked or what needs to be tweaked. Therefore, in order for us to fully understand the changes the Department has made, understanding its own assessment of what is working, not working and partially...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Steven Matthews: Please, go ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: Perfect. I thank Ms Walsh. That would be very helpful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Steven Matthews: For the information of members, although we received the draft document yesterday, we also received a lot of other documentation, including the Natura impact statements and the strategic environmental assessment, SEA, statements. It is a kind of changes document. Is that the one to which Ms Walsh is referring? We have that in our Teams folder.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Eoin Ó Broin: Did that not only arrive today?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Steven Matthews: Yes. It is 270 pages long with the draft itself. It compares the 2018 national planning framework to what is proposed in this draft one. There are strikeouts and so on. It is a helpful document. As regards the eight-week or ten-week consultation period, or however long the period is, I am in two minds about whether it is good or not during the summer. I find I have more time on my...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Steven Matthews: Obviously, if Senator Cummins makes a submission as part of this consultation to clarify the points he is making, the officials will take those into account. Will the officials come back to the committee to tell us if they can define the commuting zone, the functional urban area, the criteria for inclusion of an area within a MASP, and clarify the ability of the regional assemblies to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Steven Matthews: We had not invited the Minister but I do not think the committee would have any objection to that. Our next meeting when we return is with the Electoral Commission but I would not have any issue with inviting the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, in as part of that consultation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Consultation on the Draft National Planning Framework: Discussion (11 Jul 2024)

Steven Matthews: Yes.