Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

When there was initial talk about the fast-track planning, the then Minister, Deputy Coveney, suggested a threshold of 200, not 100. We know this was the subject of much debate. I think there were a number of freedom of information, FOI, requests and this information entered the public domain. Is the Department looking at the possibility of increasing the threshold from 100 to 200 units, something suggested by the Minister who was the architect of all of this?

Mr. Hogan will be very familiar with strategic development zones, SDZs. They are very specific and very set down. A major concern was expressed in the Department's mid-term review to which I referred to earlier and by people today who live close by these SDZs. There is a significant degree of certainty about them and, of course, permission must be granted if the general scheme application is compliant and fits in with the criteria. One of the recommendations to which I referred earlier was that this capacity for the SHDs be removed and the fast track be removed from the SDZs. Now we are moving on to the large-scale residential developments, LSRDs. Has the Department given any further consideration to that recommendation? Does it not see the benefit of not permitting? I do not believe we should permit any LSRD in an SDZ. I believe it is wrong. They are very complex. Half the thing about confidence building in these schemes is that they are agreed upfront and there is a degree of certainty about them. I will certainly make a very strong recommendation to this committee in its final deliberations that they would be excluded.

I would be interested in Mr. Hogan's view on that.

Regarding the further information request, I am still concerned. I spoke to some planners yesterday who told me how they use the mechanism. I am not suggesting it puts manners on a developer but they have this tool, as does the board, to request further information. It puts the focus on. I know the Department is trying to tighten up times and I am all for that and for having a faster process but I have concerns. We need to look at it and when we explore this with the CCMA we may hear a different story in two days' time. We must be careful. I advise some concern around that.