Results 101-120 of 1,047,427 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Shane Ross OR speaker:Malcolm Noonan OR speaker:Dessie Ellis OR speaker:Kathleen Funchion OR speaker:Steven Matthews)

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)

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)

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)

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.

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

Steven Matthews: The planning nerds in the room and those watching on TV will gladly read through 200 or 400 pages of planning documents over the next couple of weeks. Many people do not have the time for that and would find it really difficult to get into those documents. Does the Department produce a non-technical summary or an easy-to-read introduction to the document? It would bring people into the...

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

Steven Matthews: I think that would be helpful, if it was the first thing people saw when they clicked on the website or the consultation portal. An introduction would show what the process is all about and what it is hoping to achieve. Beyond that, there could be reams and reams of detail for those who are interested.

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

Steven Matthews: The Deputy can come back in.

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

Steven Matthews: Is a response required to that last comment?

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

Steven Matthews: The two land activation measures were mentioned. It is important to point out that the zoned land tax was legislated for but was then parked for a year. I really hope and push for that to come in and be activated in the finance Bill this year because it is an important measure. The committee has done its work on land-value sharing. We have sent back our pre-legislative scrutiny report...

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

Steven Matthews: Before I take the next slot and then move on to the third round, does Ms Kenny wish to say something?

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

Steven Matthews: I will let Deputies Leddin and Ó Broin and Senator O’Reilly contribute again in the third round. I will ask a couple of questions based on what we have discussed so far. We spoke about the figure for unmet or pent-up demand. The Housing Commission reported on its estimation of that. Has the Department carried out a study on the level and range of pent-up demand?

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

Steven Matthews: That is fine. The more research we have, the better as far as I am concerned. The Housing Commission’s report was one thing. The ESRI’s report on structural demand was another. They both inform us and provide the evidence we need. Regarding transport-oriented development, does the Department have a definition of “TOD”? As Mr. Hogan well knows, I have been...

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

Steven Matthews: In one school of thought, transport-oriented development is about high-capacity and high-frequency public transport. In my view, TOD is a little more than that. It is about being able to walk, cycle or take a bus, tram or whatever it might be. Even the car. Cars are necessary in some situations. In the Department’s view, is TOD of a large scale – for example, the four-track...