Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I agree with some of the points Deputy Matthews made in relation to An Taisce. The organisation has played a really important role in protecting Irish culture and heritage. It has held people to account who need to held to account. The organisation has done the State a good service. I wish to acknowledge that. Planning and development is an important issue in every community right across the country. The recent controversy in relation to An Bord Pleanála has been a huge blow to the confidence of the communities that I represent. It has undermined the belief and sense that there is any integrity around An Bord Pleanála. That feeling has been badly damaged. I am not sure if people are aware of the anger that exists among the public following events surrounding An Bord Pleanála. The allegations around Mr. Paul Hyde have done serious damage to the integrity of the entire planning process, and not just An Bord Pleanála. The anger has also spilled out towards Dublin City Council and other local authorities right across the country, even though there is no evidence of any link there. People will always talk, but in my experience as a member of Dublin City Council the planners that I worked with were nothing but professional and showed great integrity. We agreed and disagreed on different elements of planning applications and developments, but the reality is that the they always showed complete professionalism. I am aware that the Minister has sanctioned an inquiry into the deputy chairman of An Bord Pleanála. The online publication The Ditch has highlighted the rot that has set into An Bord Pleanála. We are lucky to have such strong investigative journalism in the country. In 2016, a review into An Bord Pleanála was carried out. Little has come out of the recommendations of that review. Mr. Remy Farrell, SC, has been tasked with investigating the deputy chairman. It is essential that the Minister publishes the findings of the investigation as a matter of urgency. The fact that the deadline for the publication of Mr. Farrell's report has been extended by a few weeks is worrying in and of itself. The report is not due to be published until the end of this month. Of course, that means that the Dáil will be in recess when it is published. We need to know, and be confident, that all of the allegations that have been made against members of An Bord Pleanála will be investigated. It is important that the report does not go the way of the 2016 report.

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