James Browne
Wexford · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I cannot accept amendments Nos. 10 and 11. The interpretation of "lawfully resident" and "habitually resident" is construed in accordance with section 20A, which sets out the new residency requirements for social housing applicants.”
“The safety net provision is to be provided by the local authority on a night-to-night basis, and this is to allow local authorities to reassess the circumstances each day to determine whether the safety net should still be provided.”
“I cannot accept amendment No. 21. This amendment proposes the introduction of a social housing passport allowing households to transfer between local authority areas while retaining their original waiting list or transfer list position. The amendment as it stands is well-intentioned.”
“No one factor is intended to be decisive and it is not necessary for a person to score strongly on all five factors outlined in section 20A(7) in order to get a positive decision. However, the local authority decision-maker must be confident that there is strong evidence that it is the applicant's main centre of interest.”
“In relation to Senator McCarthy’s amendment, while it was a very well intentioned and constructed amendment, it has been disallowed. It was not my decision on those matters. I am satisfied the safeguards and safety net are there for those who are not entitled by way of legal or habitual residence.”
“In practical terms, if an Irish citizen has severed ties abroad and has decided to return home, the process of establishing habitual residency could be determined from day one.”
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“This expansion to the role and remit of the LDA will leverage its existing expertise and skills to accelerate the delivery of housing in vibrant, sustainable communities all over Ireland and support the LDA reaching the mature stage of its lifecycle as a major developer and provider of affordable housing. The LDA entered into spending commitments of €824 million in 2024 which will deliver around 1,750 homes and has major projects for direct delivery at various stages of planning and development which will deliver over 10,000 homes by 2029. In addition to changes to the LDA’s operating model, officials from my Department are currently liaising with the Department of Finance on the treatment of the LDA’s cost-rental activity with respect to corporation tax. This has the potential to further support the sustainability of the LDA.”
“The LDA invested €535 million in 2024 which, combined with existing assets, means the LDA holds €600 million in cost-rental assets now and €305 million in assets under construction at the end of 2024. The Government has committed to empower the LDA to widen its operational model to allow it to increase its level of capital recycling thorough the disposal of more units through affordable purchase schemes and, where appropriate to local housing demand, private sales. The LDA will also seek to further develop its land assembly function to ensure a healthy pipeline of serviced sites with a potential for further capital recovery where appropriate.”
“The Land Development Agency is a key part of the Government’s housing strategy in delivering affordable homes for rent and sale in communities right across Ireland. The Department of Finance’s report on the sustainable funding options for the Land Development Agency considered the financing needs of the LDA and the implications of this need on the business model and operational activities of the agency. This report and the pressing need for further expansion in housing supply of all tenure types have informed the Government’s decision in June to expand the role and remit of the LDA. The annual report of the LDA for 2024, for example, which will be laid before the House this week, shows that the Government invested a further €325 million from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund in 2024.”
“That is why we are introducing the reforms in the rental sector to give renters security of tenure, which is critical to bringing us in line with the rest of Europe, but there are also other measures to increase delivery on social housing by as much as possible and as quickly as possible. As that will not end homelessness immediately, we will also have funding for those who are in homelessness, along with prevention and exit measures. This is a multifaceted approach to address homelessness.”
“As the Deputy rightly points out, there is significant additional funding for homelessness in yesterday’s budget. As the Deputy knows, budgets are always broad strokes. You are dealing with multiple Departments and within those Departments there are multiple areas. I will, through the Revised Estimates Volume, work out exactly how we will allocate this funding and how we will use it. In particular, the homeless prevention framework will be absolutely key to preventing people going into homelessness. We cannot address homelessness as a homogenous group. People are becoming homeless for different reasons. The most common and most frequent reason is notices to quit.”
“It will be done through a number of different measures, including delivering on social housing, but also for those who are entering into homelessness, preventions, exits out as quickly as possible and working with people in emergency accommodation. I have outlined some of what we are in the middle of doing. Our homeless prevention framework, worked out with our NGOs, will also be published very soon.”
“With our new housing plan, we are developing the homelessness prevention framework. Significant work has been ongoing in relation to that, working with all the NGOs. I acknowledge the good work by Focus Ireland and the Simon Communities of Ireland. When I became Minister for housing, the first thing I did was visit all of the homeless organisations at their sites to get the necessary information. They have been front and centre of everything I have been doing for the past eight months, including meeting on a regular basis through the National Homeless Action Committee, working together to ensure homelessness is reduced. My focus is absolutely on reducing that homeless number.”
“Capital funding of €50 million has been allocated to support the provision and maintenance of quality emergency and transitional accommodation. The new housing plan will be published shortly. It will include robust and targeted actions that will increase the provision of housing.”
“I ring-fenced an additional €50 million which I secured as part of the national development plan process to exit households who are the longest in homeless accommodation with a focus in the first instance on larger families with children and housing first clients. This funding is in addition to the €325 million already committed to the social housing second-hand acquisitions programme in 2025, bringing the second-hand acquisition programme in total to €375 million so far this year. Ensuring that families and children experiencing homelessness are provided with accommodation and supports is critical. Budget 2026 provides an allocation of €513.5 million to provide homeless emergency accommodation and supports.”
“This continued investment in the social housing programme will increase the supply of stock available to allocate to households on social housing waiting lists, including households in emergency accommodation. It is important that local authorities ensure sufficient allocations are made to families in emergency accommodation. A key focus for me is to reduce the time families spend in emergency accommodation as well as prevention. In September I wrote to 21 local authorities with families in emergency accommodation for more than 12 months and asked them to use all housing schemes to exit these families from emergency accommodation.”
“I thank the Deputy. Addressing homelessness and in particular homeless families and children is a priority for me, the Department and the Government. Ireland signed the Lisbon declaration in June 2021 which committed all signatories to work towards ending homelessness by 2030. I will continue to work with the National Homeless Action Committee to ensure an all-of-government approach to drive the ambition of the Lisbon declaration. Critical to supporting households to exit homelessness is our continued investment in the social housing programme. Budget 2026 has continued the record level of investment in social housing with €2.9 billion in capital allocated to support the delivery of social homes by local authorities.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann: (1) approves the terms of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage done at Paris on the 6th November, 2001, a copy of which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 13th August, 2025, (2) approves the making of a Declaration under Article 28 of the said Convention that the Rules of the Annex to the Convention will apply to activities directed at Underwater Cultural Heritage carried out in non-maritime inland waters, and (3) approves the making of a Declaration under Article 9(2) of the Convention that the reports referred to in Article 9(1)(b) shall be transmitted by the State in accordance with Article 9(1)(b)(ii).”
“That is what the Government and I are doing. We are also delivering more and more funding. Again, however, I ask the Deputies to put forward some numbers in the context of what they are proposing to do here. A few facts might actually help the situation. This is a quick one for Sinn Féin. Its housing policy says to slash the tenant in situ scheme. The policy is available online. It is there in black and white. Sinn Féin wants to cut it down because it recognises what tenant situ was meant to be.”
“Can I ask the Deputies to just read the circular that went out to the local authorities and realise what it does? It prioritises families. I know the Labour Party's motion does not talk about prioritising children because whichever of its researchers wrote probably did read it. I ask the Deputies to read it as well. As I said, there has been €375 million for second-hand acquisitions already this year. That is what our focus is on, but we cannot solve the housing crisis and the homelessness crisis by buying up existing properties. The solution is building more homes and more social homes.”
“-----in the context of turning too many houses into too few, what did it do? It criticised the likes of Peter McVerry instead of listening to those warnings. It did not realise what was happening. That is what it did-----”
“-----because that circular prioritises families, which she criticised me for doing. In relation to the Labour Party's motion, we have a demand-led tenant in situ scheme, which is what the Deputy wants. We have nearly 60,000 HAP and RAS tenancies. The Labour Party is well north of €20 billion, yet it has not quantified its position or said where that money will come from. Once again, it is more magic numbers, like the 1 million houses it is going to build, and not a single acknowledgement of its record when last in government, when in five years it managed to turn a housing crisis of too many houses into one of too few.”
“Thank you very much. We might look at the tenant in situ scheme. I am trying to square what Deputy Bacik said yesterday during Leaders' Questions, because the criteria in the circular I introduced earlier in the year put the focus on local authorities to prioritise families. The Deputy criticised that at the time. She said that single people were being singled out and left behind. Labour Party TDs did that. Yesterday, she demanded that I do what I did in my circular, which is to prioritise families. It is just bizarre, and I suspect she just did not actually read the circular that went out to local authorities,or what her own TDs said when it was announced-----”
“It is an extraordinary level of funding. I hear Opposition TDs saying that we are not spending enough money. Those same TDs now need to indicate what they would cut. Would they cut funding from education?”
“Together with income supports and measures relating to homelessness and housing in budget 2026 and beyond, I will continue to concentrate on expanding the vital services in our communities. However, we cannot achieve everything in a single budget. Tackling child poverty and homelessness will require a concerted and continued effort over the lifetime of this Government. That is a firm commitment, as the Taoiseach outlined in the context of child poverty and well-being earlier this month. We know that we have work to do, and we are determined to do it. On housing, in the national development plan that was recently announced, one in every three euro will now be spent on delivering housing. That money will go either into the Department of housing or into Uisce Éireann to facilitate water to deliver housing.”
“The additional €15 million that I allocated to my Department in the past few weeks for a second-hand acquisitions budget is a clear and unambiguous reflection of the Government’s commitment in this regard. When I became Minister, there was €60 million available for second-hand acquisitions. It is now the middle of September, and that has increased to €375 million already. This additional funding complements a range of other measures to address long-term homelessness and will, as I said, be ring-fenced and targeted at acquisitions that support families, primarily those larger families with children, to exit long-term emergency accommodation into housing.”
“In making our budgetary decisions, targeted measures aimed at tackling child poverty and reducing homelessness will be at the core. In relation to income support, our key focus will be on existing targeted measures that we know work, such as the child support and working family payments. In line with our programme for Government commitments, we are continuing to explore a targeted child benefit payment, and, as the Minister, Deputy Calleary, said, while work is under way, a second-tier payment is complex and will take time to get right. As a result, it will not be announced as part of budget 2026. In tackling child poverty, it is essential that we do so by means of a cross-government approach. For example, this includes focusing on targeted measures in relation to homelessness and housing.”
“Our determination to reduce child poverty is reflected in the delivery of our programme for Government commitments to date and the establishment of the child poverty and well-being programme office in the Department of the Taoiseach, the setting of a new and ambitious child poverty target, unprecedented increases in core social welfare rates and targeted payments that support families and children most in need and investment in key programmes and initiatives, such as the hot school meals and free schoolbooks programme. We are fully aware of the work that remains to be done over the lifetime of this Government and beyond to reduce child poverty, and we are committed to this. In the context of budget 2026, the Government has made clear the importance of focusing investment and resources to families with children where it is most needed.”
“We also must remember this data does not reflect the Government's full response to child poverty in 2024 and 2025 through budget and other measures. The Taoiseach spoken about the need to deal with child poverty holistically if we are to have a decisive impact. He has also reiterated his determination that this Government would do everything it can to remove the hurdles facing too many children experiencing poverty, to make the rates fair and to give every child an equal start. It is important to recognise that Ireland continues to make great progress in cross-national comparisons across EU member states in terms of addressing poverty and social inclusion. Reducing child poverty is not only crucial for our children, it is also important for our communities and country to ensure a fairer and more cohesive society.”
“This remained below the EU 27 average of 16%, with Ireland's ranking improving from seventh in 2022 to fifth in 2024. Ireland continued to be the best-performing country in the EU in the context of reducing poverty and inequality through social transfers in 2024. Social transfers reduced at the risk of poverty rate by 62.7% in Ireland, substantially higher than the EU average of 34.1%. While Ireland's system of social transfers is among the best performing across the EU, the Government and I are conscious that we must continue to strive to do more and assist those families who are in poverty. The latest poverty data from the Central Statistics Office is disappointing and shows us that investing in child poverty must be a continual process.”
“Strengthening the resilience of households and communities to prevent people descending into poverty is crucial. That is why the Government is determined to address poverty, and child poverty in particular. I recognise that while figures and statistics and crucial for measuring progress, they are certainly not the full picture. Behind the statistics, figures and percentages are real people with daily lived experiences of poverty, deprivation and exclusion. Indeed, the highly progressive Irish taxation system and social transfers are extremely effective at redistributing income and are recognised as one of the most effective at poverty alleviation in the EU. From an international perspective and according to Eurostat, Ireland's at-risk-of-poverty rate fell from 13.4% in 2022 to 12.3% in 2024.”
“I thank the Deputies for their contributions. I have considered the Labour Party motion. The Government has presented its countermotion on child poverty and homelessness, which shows our determination to drive down the child poverty rates, increase supports for families and tackle family homelessness. We have outlined the significant progress we have made and reinforced our firm commitment to delivering more progress on these critical issues. Ireland has seen extraordinary social and economic progress over the previous four decades. Reductions in poverty, alongside improvements to living standards, have demonstrated the transformative potential of collective action. However, despite these schemes, poverty persists and inequalities remain. Many people struggle to make ends meet and remain one misfortune away from falling into poverty.”
“I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2025, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 4th July, 2025.”
“Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €3,483,932,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for certain services administered by that Office, and for the payments of certain grants.”
“Vote 42 - Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €535,444,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht including certain services administered by that Office and for the payment of grants and that a sum not exceeding €2,200,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.”
“Vote 36 - Defence (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €995,054,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Defence, including certain services administered by that Office; for the pay and expenses of the Defence Forces; and for payment of certain grants.”
“Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €324,477,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December 2025 for retired pay, pensions, compensation, allowances and gratuities payable under sundry statutes to or in respect of members of the Defence Forces and certain other Military Organisations, etc., and for sundry contributions and expenses in connection therewith; for certain extra-statutory children's allowances and other payments and for sundry grants.”
“Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €8,529,631,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, including grants to Local Authorities, grants and other expenses in connection with housing, water services, miscellaneous schemes, subsidies, grants and payments of certain grants under cash-limited schemes.”
“Vote 33 - Culture, Communications and Sport (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €1,164,077,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport including certain services administered by that Office, and for payment of certain subsidies and grants and that a sum not exceeding €19,576,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.”
“Vote 32 - Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €1,217,144,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, including certain services administered by that Office, for the payment of certain subsidies and grants and for the payment of certain grants under cash-limited schemes and that a sum not exceeding €3,012,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.”
“Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €1,733,405,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, including certain services administered by that Office, and for payment of certain grants and subsidies and for the payment of certain grants under cash-limited schemes, and that a sum not exceeding €31,800,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004.”
“Vote 26 - Education and Youth (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €11,798,706,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Education and Youth, for certain services administered by that Office, and for the payments of certain grants. Vote 29 - Climate, Energy and the Environment (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €973,230,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environement, including certain services administered by that Office, and for payment of certain grants.”
“Vote 16 - Tailte Éireann (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €89,367,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of Tailte Éireann and certain minor services and that a sum not exceeding €479,000 be granted by way of the application for capital supply services of unspent appropriations, the surrender of which may be deferred under Section 91 of the Finance Act 2004. Vote 23 - An Coimisiún Toghcháin (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €11,618,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the An Coimisiún Toghcháin.”
“Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €691,350,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of Public Works; for services administered by that Office and for payment of certain grants and for the recoupment of certain expenditure.”
“Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €72,023,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €53,389,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Chief State Solicitor.”
“Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €25,520,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Attorney General, including a grant. Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €92,315,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Central Statistics Office.”
“I move the following Revised Estimates: Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €5,438,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Secretary General to the President, for certain other expenses of the President's Establishment and for certain grants. Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised Estimate) That a sum not exceeding €37,314,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Department of the Taoiseach, including certain services administered by the Department and for payment of grants.”
“That will enable people to move out of box rooms and into their own homes. All the theories written down will not provide a single home in which people can live. The only thing that will do so is action. That is what I am doing as Minister, with the backing of the Government. We have introduced a series of measures I believe will address the housing crisis we are facing in this country. They are measures that are absolutely essential to be made. All the hyperbole across the floor will not build a single house.”
“-----being put forward and no solutions, with the exception, in fairness, of Deputy Hearne. As I have stated before, the Department of housing has asked the Department of Finance to look at a Livret A-type scheme and I have read the Deputy's proposals. There are challenges in this regard. It is not something that can be stepped up immediately but it is something we are looking at seriously. We must get houses and apartments built, whether to rent or for sale. We need that mix. We have a viability issue in this country. We are taking rapid measures to get the viability going. On the other side of that, the most important thing is affordability. The only way we will address homelessness and high rents and ensure people have homes to live in is by taking the necessary measures to ensure we get those homes built.”
“21 amends section 7 of the Act of 2000 to provide that particulars of any permission modified in accordance with section 44B must be entered into a planning authorities register. Amendments Nos. 25 and 26 concern fee setting for the certification applications to amend section 246 of the Act of 2000 whereby the Minister may prescribe in regulation a fee in respect of applications under section 44B and amending section 144 of that Act to facilitate the commission to set a fee in respect of such applications where they are the relevant authority.”
“Where a certificate is issued, the permission will stand so modified and any development carried out in accordance with a modified permission will not be unauthorised development. Public notification requirements are set out requiring the relevant authority to issue a public notice in a newspaper and on its website as well as making the relevant documentation available for inspection, including on its website. Section 44B is a temporary provision and certificate applications for proposed modifications must be made within two years from this Bill coming into operation. Amendments Nos. 21, 25 and 26 are consequential to the introduction of this new certification procedure for modifications to existing apartment permissions. Amendment No.”
“Applications for certificates will need to be accompanied by revised plans and drawings and other documentation and information related to the proposed modification, including for the purpose of carrying out environmental screening. Certificates will not be issued for proposed modifications in the following scenarios: the development has already commenced; an AA or EIA in relation to the proposed modification is required; or the applicant for the certificate fails to comply with any documentation or further information requirements. In addition, if the development is located in a strategic development zone, a certificate cannot be issued if the proposed modification would cause the number of dwellings in that strategic development zone to exceed the number permitted by its planning scheme.”
“As the provision explicitly sets out, its purpose is to facilitate the construction of a greater numbers of dwellings in apartment complexes than permitted under permissions already granted taking account of the acute shortage of residential accommodation, the rise in homelessness, the rise in the cost of residential rental accommodation and house and apartment purchase prices. Section 44B enables the holder a permission for residential development to apply to the relevant authority that granted that permission, either a planning authority or An Coimisiún Pleanála, to certify that a proposed modification of a permission is a permitted modification. The relevant authority must be satisfied that the proposed modification, if made, is a permitted modification in order for a certificate to issue.”
“Viability presents an ongoing challenge to housing delivery and this is particularly relevant for the delivery of apartments, where a considerable gap has emerged between the cost of delivering apartment development and comparable general housing market prices. The new guidelines provide guidance, standards and policy requirements in relation to the design of apartment developments to take account of current Government policy and economic, social and environmental considerations. Given the urgent need to increase housing supply, the proposed section 44B will enable the holders of existing permissions for apartment developments that have not yet commenced to modify their permissions in line with the new guidelines.”
“In this context, regulations made under section 44B will provide the screening procedures for EIA and AA to facilitate this provision. Given the urgent need to increase housing supply, section 44B enables a limited number of modifications to existing planning permissions to facilitate the building of much-needed apartment developments while ensuring environmental screening is carried out in respect of those modifications. Therefore, I oppose the Deputies' amendment. Seanad amendment No. 24 will introduce a new section 44B into the Act of 2000 providing a certification procedure for modifications to planning permissions for residential development that are in line with certain specific planning policy requirements contained in the recently published Planning Design Standards for Apartments, Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2025.”
“The Aarhus Convention relates to access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. Following discussions with the Office of the Attorney General, the Department remains satisfied that the Bill is in compliance with all international obligations, including the Aarhus Convention. It is important to note that section 44B(5)(b) provides that a relevant authority cannot issue a certificate under section 44B if an appropriate assessment, AA, or environmental impact assessment, EIA, in relation to the proposed modification of the permission is required. Where an EIA or AA is required, such proposed modifications may only be sought by way of a planning application, a process that provides for public participation and notification.”