Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I confirm that I am in the convention centre, on the precincts of the campus. I will declare my hand early. While the Committee of Public Accounts does not deal with policy, my intention in my line of questioning is to demonstrate that the SHD process was a poor policy decision. I believe that to be the case from a housing perspective, in terms of how it has provided housing, but my question relates to its value for money and the costs associated with it. It appears the SHD process has increased the level of legal activity in the planning process. Where, previously, people would take action at the local authority level before proceeding to An Bord Pleanála and, possibly, a legal process, we seem to have pushed all the activity into an SHD with An Bord Pleanála and then into legal fees. Will Mr. Walsh compare the number of cases prior to SHDs being introduced with the number taken now and the legal costs associated with both?