The Minister of State is very versatile. I presume she is representing the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage as she will now discuss protected structures. I will keep my comments sweet and short. My Commencement matter concerns Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, which is one of 31 local authorities in the country, and the designation of structures in terms of the record of protected structures. Each local authority is obliged to keep an inventory or record of protected structures for councils …

I thank the Minister of State for the reply but it has only caused more confusion. I was involved in putting through three county development plans. I refer the House to the expression "Don't teach your mother to suck eggs". The reality is that this reply has caused more confusion. I was hoping it would provide clarity in regard to this matter. The reply confirms that there are two processes including the county development plan process of ten weeks after the draft is published. In the case of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdow…

I welcome the Minister to the House. It is clear from listening to him that he undoubtedly has an amazing enthusiasm and expertise in this area. I shall focus on 2019 but I was not expecting an outlay of what is happening in the future and that is exciting. We were invited in here today to discuss the 2019 annual transition statement and welcome the comments made by a clearly enthusiastic Minister. What has changed since 2019? We have had a significant general election that provide there was massive support for the…

I note we have three minutes each. I thank the Leader for laying out the Order of Business. I have no difficulty with it. I wish to raise the issue of local government, which is very dear to my heart. I served for many years on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and travelled around the country a lot in my role on the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and other bodies representing local government. I acknowledge the work of Cork County Council under its current mayor, Councillor Mary Linehan Foley, an…

I am sure that many Senators heard on the RTÉ news bulletins and from other media outlets this morning about the publication of a report that was commissioned by Government, which has recommended legislative change. It recommends such change in the context of corruption, fraud and economic crime. This raises extremely serious concerns. The Hamilton review, which is the report in question, states that legislation is required to deal with the ethics breaches of former Oireachtas Members. That was reported in the hour…

I will not speak on this matter at any great length. I have listened to the debate. I chaired the session from 12 noon to 1 p.m. so I heard Senator Casey eloquently make his case. There is no better person to do so. I am very familiar with his success in Glendalough and his commitment to enterprise. I was very interested in the comment by Senator Chambers regarding a wall around the proposal and the associated frustration. I have been there many times. There are very few Senators on the Opposition benches and peopl…

I thank the Deputy Leader for setting out the proposed Order of Business for today. One of the issues I want to raise relates to persons over 65 years of age. Members will have received numerous emails this week to the effect that people of 65 years of age are obliged to apply for jobseeker's allowance until they are 66 years of age and qualify for the State pension. Senators will recall that during the elections and the political promises, there was a promise on an interim payment that seems to be forgotten, and t…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, to delete lines 1 to 5 and substitute the following: “(i) shall hold public meetings (except in such grave and limited circumstances as may be prescribed by law, such as an emergency period, where the holding of such a meeting is not reasonably practicable, in which case a planning authority shall make alternative arrangements for effective and inclusive public consultation as it deems appropriate) and invite submissions in writing from members of the public, in relation to a prop…

I welcome the Minister of State, who has overall responsibility for planning. This is a very important aspect of his work. I thank his senior Minister and the other Minister for State for taking various aspects of this Bill. We had a good, healthy, robust engagement on it. The Minister of State will note from the amendments before him that my signature is on the amendment along with those of my colleagues, Senators Keogan, Craughwell and McDowell. In terms of the crux of this amendment, it provides that a planning …

We know that.

I thank the Minister of State. I respect his position. He takes his advice and puts his best case forward. I thank the contributors to the debate. It is not over, however. As the Bill was initiated in this House, it will come back from the Dáil and there will be another debate and set of engagements with the Minister of State. I thank the Oireachtas Library and Research Service. Many Members have referred to its digest on the Bill. It is an excellent piece of work. On technology generally, we have a long way to go.…

Before I call on the Minister of State, I wish to take this opportunity to welcome him to the Seanad. I wish him well in what is clearly a very exciting portfolio for him. I wish him every success with it.

I thank the Minister of State.

I thank the Leader for setting out the Order of Business for today. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 24, motion 8, on the Order Paper be taken before No. 1. This motion relates to the vacancy on the agricultural panel and the by-election. I want to talk about the red meat industry. Those who follow the agricultural sector and food security will be very aware and particularly concerned about the recent reports from the Health and Safety Authority concerning serious breaches around public heal…

I move: That the Clerk of Seanad Éireann do send to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage notice of a vacancy in the membership of Seanad Éireann occasioned by the resignation of Senator Michael D'Arcy, a member elected from the Oireachtas Sub-Panel of the Agricultural Panel at the General Election for Seanad Éireann, April, 2020.

Perhaps the Leas-Chathaoirleach will give me some guidance on whether it is in order for me to move my amendment at this point.

That is great, I am happy to do that. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to the House. This is an issue that will be of enormous interest to him. I am opposed to the Government amendment No. 2. It is not over very much, it is all about "and" and "or". I believe that we should continue to have public consultation. It should remain a statutory situation, as it currently is. I am very conscious of the difference between executive and reserved functions. I am also very conscious that in the first part of t…

I thank my colleague for his words of support and encouragement. The Minister of State’s party has a substantial number of councillors and he was a councillor for many years, and a good one at that, which I acknowledge. He will be aware of the importance of public engagement. I sat for four years on the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, as it was then known, and I am back on the new committee. I have attended the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, conferences up and down this coun…

That is very disappointing. I put three county development plans through my hands and worked very hard on them. I am aware of members of the Green Party who put up advertisements and plastic signs on poles all over the community for their own major public meetings, as is their entitlement. They were very good meetings. As for this suggestion again that somehow, people would interrupt or hijack, one should not forget that citizens of this country have the right to gather anywhere and engage and communicate. The Cons…

It makes sense if I come in now as the Minister of State would not have to reply again. This is Committee Stage and Members can speak at length on these matters.