Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome all the guests, especially our guests from Kerry; our CEO, Ms Moira Murrell; our director of services, Mr. John Breen and our senior planner, Mr. Damien Ginty. I welcome all of them and thank them for the massive amount of work they have put into the county development plan, on which they are still working. I appreciate all the work the councillors in Kerry are doing in that regard. It is a very busy time. I was involved in it at least three times. I understand what goes on and the long hours.

Planning is a big issue in many parts of our county and it is a big issue in the Gaeltacht areas, because of the considerable scenery and views to be had. While some people may not want any houses in areas like that, along the Gaeltacht in Cahersiveen or Dingle, people must put a roof over their heads. The one ambition that every young fella and young girl has is to put a roof over their heads, to start a family and to rear their family in the area in which they were brought up.

Recognition has to be given to that and I welcome what Ms Murrell said about people looking for planning permission. The one place I hope the objective is adhered to that they have to have family links, because sites and planning are in demand in those areas because of the reason I outlined. However, we must see after young locals to ensure our culture, heritage and language in those areas is continued. As it has been handed down to the present generation, we want to hand it on to the generations to come.

The big worry that I have is objectors. When Kerry County Council finally grants permission and they go through the further information process and all that is satisfied, lo and behold, someone from outside the area objects to someone getting planning to put a roof over his or her head. It is wrong and I worry about that.

I have no problem with people who have genuine reasons or are local and a new house would be impeding them in some way. However, I take someone from outside of the parish or the county objecting to young people getting planning permission like this to be criminal. I abhor that kind of action. It is usually by people who are not working, have plenty of time on their hands and are on the dole and getting money for nothing, without doing any work for it. That is the kind of person who usually objects.

There is a problem with short-term letting in some parts of the country. However, in many parts of Kerry, a house close to or on a farm is being rented out for a short time to make up the yearly income and help a family along the way when it is not making the income it should from farming. This is a help.

Those people should be left alone and allowed to carry on because many of these houses, if they were not being let or having some such use, would become derelict in a very short time. They could not be maintained or their doors kept open if they were not allowed to do that.

I welcome and appreciate all of our guests who have attended here or on Zoom and I hope that they will continue the great work in the future that they have all been doing.