Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Some of my questions have been asked. The witnesses are very welcome. When we were discussing who would come in to discuss the new planning Bill, I made sure the IPI's name was included as a priority. Given that there have been 50 years of modern Irish planning since the last Planning Act, it is time for a new Bill. The witnesses referred to the term “planner” and the need to ensure everybody is qualified. University qualification is the academic requirement. Is continuous professional development the only side the witnesses want to put into legislation? The witnesses mentioned the optimal use of different parts of the country to maximise the island's potential, and much of that already happens under planning regulations in various development plans. I know the landscape strategy, and witnesses' suggestion that energy infrastructure for renewable energy would be mandatory in any future development plans is a good recommendation.

The witnesses elaborated on Part 5, and it is the most important part, particularly with the homeless numbers and the housing situation. Could the witnesses identify one thing we should be doing now to speed up the process that would put houses on the ground, particularly social housing and housing for the homeless? The statutory provision requiring planning authorities to resolve compliance submissions within a specific timeframe should be put in place. Each planning authority should have a time limit in which to enforce compliance. Personnel in the local authorities should be designated to do the enforcement. Local authorities fall down on enforcement.

The witnesses recommended that certificates of lawfulness of use of development be introduced. What would they cover? The planning review of various local authorities that reported in 2012 made 12 specific recommendations. Mr. van der Kamp did an independent review of the review and rejected some of the recommendations. It is important to hear them. One recommendation with which he disagreed was the requirement that developers be banned from making local area plans. Everybody should be involved in some way in making local area plans, because everybody brings different knowledge, including the community, developer and planner. Could Mr. van der Kamp comment on the proposal that developers be banned from making local area plans? It is not in his document today but in his review of the 2012 planning review.