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

What is hugely important here is that there is a constructive outcome. One of the balances that is not here is the balance of the community versus the semi-State or the State organisation, particularly in terms of funding and access to professional legal and planning advice. This is something that is not going to end today. There ought to be a mechanism where one can access an independent fund or independent legal advice that one can commission but will be paid for from that fund, that would meet certain standards, and would not and could not be anything other than what one would need. That would certainly ensure that the community case that the witnesses have articulated so clearly and strongly is backed up professionally because when these issue move on into planning fora and such bodies, this support is required. I remember an experience when a number of us opposed an incinerator in our community. When it came to the planning stage, we had our own people there as we had no money to pay anybody. All of the other parties had a bevy of lawyers and solicitors and planners. We won the argument at the end of the day. It was a huge battle, however, and it is a huge battle to try to get equality for one's community. There is a balance nationally that we ought to address in that regard. Groups should be enabled to have access to professional proper advice that articulates their case in the planning fora not the legal fora they need to present to. I call Deputy Ellis to speak.