On behalf of the Government, I thank all those involved in affording us the opportunity to pass this Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill. I thank Opposition and Government Deputies for their co-operation and for not tabling amendments to this urgent and important Bill. I also note that the Senators followed suit in this regard and the Seanad passed a motion to approve the early signature of the Bill into law by President Higgins. If enacted, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, will not delay in commenc…

I am pleased to bring the Bill, which has been described as generational legislation that will impact almost every aspect of our day-to-day lives, before the House. The Bill is the culmination of three years of legal and policy review. In the first instance, the Planning and Development Act 2000 was reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General over a 15-month period. This legal review was subsequently informed from a policy perspective by listening to the input of a diverse range of voices from across the plannin…

I thank all Senators for their engagement on Second Stage. A wide range of topics were raised. The past 25 years have seen a rapid and exponential change in our country. Our thriving economy and successful education system present challenges in terms of housing and transport demand and the significant infrastructure requirements associated with it, as do the new sports and healthcare facilities needed to meet our growing population. There is a balance required of our planning system. We have talked about the import…

I thank Senators for their patience. I will address the judicial review process, which was brought up a number of times. Senator Kyne and others brought up the issue of vexatious or spurious appeals. The amendment that was tabled on Committee Stage has been accepted and will deal with those who seek to induce money or gifts by appealing or withdrawing appeals, or any other such abuse of the participation nature of the planning system. It is really important that that provision is within the Bill. Senator Garvey dis…

I thank Senator Byrne for raising this important matter. This is an area of particular interest to him. I acknowledge his work and that of the members of the joint Oireachtas committee on tourism on this specific matter. As a former member of that committee, I know it is important that we get clarity in respect of it. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. The proposed short-term letting and tourism Bill will provide the statutory basis for the establishment of a register for sh…

I thank Senator Byrne for raising the real importance of self-catering accommodation, bed and breakfast accommodation and the wider short-term tourism letting sector. It is an important element of the Irish tourism ecosystem. We want to see our tourism sector co-existing in a more sustainable way, recognising and complementing the local needs of many communities, both economically and socially. The long-term sustainable growth of tourism requires that an appropriate balance is achieved between the short-term and lo…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the pact, a matter of profound significance and immediate concern to the people of Ireland. It is a subject that touches the very fabric of our society and calls for a unified European response. Migration is one of the most important issues of our time. Ireland, for the first time in our history, is experiencing significant inward migration. This influx, driven by those fleeing war, the impact of climate change and economic factors, has become a cornerstone …

Let me start by just outlining again the key aim of the Bill, which is to introduce more consistency, clarity and certainty to the planning system. That is core to what we are actually doing here and what we have done over the past six months. The Bill is looking to the future; it is certainly not dealing with the past. Within that, it is really important that we have consistency across all tiers of planning, be it at national, regional or local level. It is important that we have an integrated planning system fit …

I will conclude. We find this section to be sufficient as currently drafted and cannot accept the amendments.

The arguments Deputy Danny Healy-Rae is presenting are made on an individual basis in his constituency in Kerry.

In many cases, the local area development plans and county development plans are agreed by the local members in accordance with national policy. To say the planners themselves make the determination on an individual basis, based on policy-----

What we are doing is ensuring we have a Bill that is fit for purpose in the here and now. The existing legislation is 24 years old. By enhancing the policy, the national planning statements and the national planning framework, we are coherently recalibrating and rebalancing what we need to do in our planning system, which is really important. Everyone should have a right to live and work in their locality. They make individual applications to do so and the adjudications are made by the experts, the planners, not by…

It is the planners who are actually trained and qualified to ensure they implement policy. I have never seen a politician, be it a councillor or Deputy, make an assessment of a planning application. They are not technically qualified to do so. Today we are addressing the issues within the Bill, not the issues in Kerry County Council. The national planning statements replace section 28 and section 29 guidelines, pertaining to a ministerial policy directive under the Act of 2000. I am satisfied that the procedures fo…

I did not blame anyone.

I move amendment No. 201: In page 69, line 12, to delete "revoke or amend" and substitute "amend or revoke".

I move amendment No. 219: In page 71, line 4, to delete “Act.” and substitute “Act;”.

I move amendment No. 220: In page 71, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “(p) integration of relevant climate action related policies and measures of the Government, including those prepared pursuant to the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, into regional spatial and economic strategies,development plans, urban area plans, priority area plans and coordinated area plans; (q) integration of relevant policies and measures of the Government relating to biodiversity, including those in resp…

The programme for Government contains a commitment to conduct a review of the MUDs Act 2011 to ensure that it is fit for purpose and that it acts in the best interests of residents. Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland, provides for regulations to be made under the MUDs Act relating to the management by owner management companies, OMCs, of annual service charges and expenditure of a non-recurring nature incurred by OMCs. My Department continues to engage constructively with the Department of Justice in …

I thank the Deputy. As I said in my opening statement, the Minister for Justice has responsibility for the MUDs Act. While our Department is the policy holder, we continue to work in relation to the remediation of structural defects in MUDs. The Department is currently engaging with the Department of Justice in respect of the review. As regards the draft regulations, my Department received draft regulations proposed by the Housing Agency, which is the State body under the aegis of our Department. A policy paper, as…

As I said in my earlier contribution, the MUDs Act is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice. While I accept the points the Deputy has raised, there are proposed updates to ensure that the annual service charges set by OMCs meet the cost of ongoing maintenance, around the provision of transparency in relation to the setting and payment of annual service charges and around assisting owner management companies to receive timely payment of annual service charges. While our Department is the policy developer in…