Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Hogan for the briefing. I have a number of questions. I welcome the fact that the SHD process is ending. Unfortunately, the Act can be improved on, in particular in respect of community consultation because that is one key aspect where people have problems with the planning process. Communities are not consulted during the course of the process.

Mr. Hogan did not answer Deputy Ó Broin's question on why the figure was 30% rather than the 15% that is already allowable. I would be interested in hearing the background and thinking behind increasing it to 30%. We might end up with large commercial developments going through the SHD process when it is meant to be for housing delivery.

Was any consideration given to deleting student accommodation from the process? It is the same as the SHD application. They comprise 200 units. In my area two student applications in recent times have been changed to short-term living applications. The local authorities have allowed that to happen. There is certainly a feeling that we have reached peak student applications within Dublin Central and Dublin South-Central, in particular the Dublin 8 area. I do not see why student applications are not included in the revised legislation.

On community consultation, was any consideration given to beefing up the requirements on applicants to meaningfully engage with communities regarding the very large developments that are taking place? One of the criticisms of the SHD process has been that it bypasses communities. Beforehand, even in the case of large planning applications going into local authorities, many communities felt that the community consultation aspect was inadequate. They certainly were not listened to when they raised concerns. That has been vindicated in terms of the number of judicial reviews that have been upheld when such cases have gone to the courts. I would like Mr. Hogan to speak to that.