This is a sector with which I am very familiar. I worked as a landscape gardener for many years prior to and while still in politics. I am very much familiar with the issue and very much in support of the amenity horticulture side of it and in terms of nursery stocks. In January 2019, the European Union (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Peat Extraction) Regulations 2019 and the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) Regulations 2019 came into effect. These regulations came into force after a deci…

I thank Senator Wall for raising this important issue. It has been raised in the Dáil by my colleague, Deputy Steven Matthews, as well. I also thank the campaign group, Changing Places, for the work it has been doing on this. The purpose of the building regulations is primarily to protect the health, safety and welfare of people in and around buildings. While both codes deal with the built environment, they have interrelated but separate roles. As matters currently stand, new buildings and extensions or material al…

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. I will outline to the Seanad the current position in respect of pyrite remediation at St. Patrick's National School in Diswellstown, Dublin 15, and the purchase of the adjacent field to accommodate remediation works and expansion of the school. St. Patrick's National School in Diswellstown was constructed under a design-and-build contract with the Department of Education as the direct employer. As the Senator will know, the school was completed in 2006. In Marc…

I thank Senator Boylan for raising this important issue, and it is something that I feel strongly about myself, particularly when it comes to low-income families, and the Senator mentioned the Traveller community. She is correct that these groups are much more exposed to high energy costs than wider society, and I accept her point. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, who is busy this afternoon participating …

I thank Senator Byrne for making a very pertinent point about young people. In the previous Commencement debate we discussed energy poverty. The phenomenon of transport poverty has a real impact on young people's ability to access training and the labour market. I absolutely appreciate that. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, who is unavailable as she is launching the 2020 Road Safety Authority Christmas and new year road safety campaign. The driving test servi…

I will certainly bring back and communicate those points. Senator Byrne can be assured that the Department of Transport is aware of the challenges facing the RSA as it works hard to manage further the backlog in the driver testing service. While the service was limited during level 5 restrictions, the RSA is examining ways of increasing the number of tests, within the health constraints, with the aim of resuming wider testing after level 5. It is working in close consultation with the Department on this matter. Thi…

We spoke before about west Cork, and I stated that it is one of my family's favourite places to visit. We were lucky to get there again this summer. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has responsibility for overall policy and funding regarding the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, planning, design and construction of individual national roads is a matter for TII, in conjunction with th…

I take on board the points made by the Senator and will take them back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. The €100,000 allocation to Cork County Council for the pre-appraisal work for 2020 shows the level of commitment from the Government. It is important, as the Senator said, to try to progress matters in as timely a manner as possible.

I thank Deputy Joan Collins for raising these important issues. I am deeply sorry to hear of those particular incidents which she raised. It is a matter the Government is taking seriously. In addressing homelessness, our approach is to prevent it, where possible, and to provide support services for those who need them, invest in housing and move people out of homelessness. There have been a number of deaths in recent months of people who had been sleeping rough or accessing emergency homeless accommodation. Each of…

I assure Deputy Joan Collins that our Department takes this matter seriously. It is right that homelessness, along with the challenges we face in addressing it, are discussed here today. The death of any person accessing homeless services is a matter of deep concern to us all. I want to express my sympathies again to the families and friends of loved ones who have found themselves in such tragic circumstances. I also want to recognise the work being done on the ground by local authorities, service providers and NGO…

Absolutely, I would wholeheartedly agree. It is something I will take back to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. We have reiterated a commitment that it should not happen and it should not be the case that anyone who seeks accommodation would be turned away from a homeless service. We will investigate it as a matter of urgency.

I take on board that point.

I will address the national planning framework, NPF, first, if that is okay, because my understanding was that the question particularly related to one-off housing. I will, however, specifically reference the issues the Senator spoke about. First, to clarify, the national planning framework does not either remove one-off local needs planning for rural houses or impose rezoning or de-zoning population caps. The national planning framework provides important national rural planning policies supporting the growth and …

It is primarily a matter for the local authority and its members to work on the core strategy with the executive. This is the important point. There is a core strategy in the development plan that is able to give capacity to the smaller towns and villages in the county development plan. All of the development plans are aligned at present and making their way through the process. They have to go through appropriate assessment and the checks and balances that meet national planning framework guidelines. At the core o…

Go raibh maith agat. Before responding to the amendments specifically I would like to make a general comment. Pete Seeger said that participation would change the world. One objective of the programme for Government is to move away from linear consultation and towards much more inclusive participation in democratic processes. That is key. As an overarching comment about what we are trying to achieve here, I welcome the comments and observations of all Senators. The points have been well made. There are many ways to…

If Senator Boyhan wishes to speak again, that is fine.

I can certainly get that information for Senator Boyhan. There would have been active and ongoing engagement with the CCMA during the Covid-19 pandemic because development plans have stalled. We can also seek clarification on the other points for the Senator. The Senator is correct that this has been a very useful debate. I would not like anyone to leave this Chamber with the assumption that this provision is trying to stifle public engagement. The opposite is the case. This is trying to facilitate and broaden publ…

Was amendment No. 2 passed?

During the debate on the previous amendments, Senator Boyhan referred to the Oireachtas Library and Research Service report. The explanatory note was written and published before the Government amendment was introduced which now clarifies that there will always be a public meeting or an online public meeting. The Office of the Attorney General has also confirmed the proposal is fully compliant with the Aarhus Convention and the public participation directive. Amendment No.7 proposes to insert a wording which would …

I thank Senator Boyhan. His point is excellent. The participation of young people, including children, is a fundamental tenet of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is vital that local authorities and all other public bodies learn as they go and ensure they include robust structures for engagement with marginalised groups, minorities, the Traveller community and young people, including children. It would make for more robust plans and processes; there is no doubt about that. I have been involved in suc…