Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Honohan's points are very thought-provoking and worth examining in full.

I live in a predominantly rural constituency in County Louth, although we have two large towns, Drogheda and Dundalk. There are very few vacant properties in the county. In fact, the biggest problem is that people cannot get a place anywhere, no matter what they are willing to pay. All of the properties are occupied. The key issue, therefore, in the context of what Mr. Honohan said about the public interest, is that the local authority and others need to build more houses but the Planning Acts can cause delays. Properties can be purchased from reluctant sellers by way of a compulsory purchase order. Would there be a problem with making changes to the planning regulations, in the public interest, to address the time-related issues, in terms of constitutional challenges? One of the biggest issues is that one can have the land and be ready to build but there are enormous, unnecessary delays. Would it be possible, as in the case of significant industrial developments, to have a branch of An Bord Pleanála which would fast-track the planning process for houses? Would it be possible to set up a one-stop-shop, with a six-week period for consultation, for example, but only in the public interest and for a limited period of time? Would that make sense or would it pass muster?