Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I expect a clamour of support from others on the committee for these amendments. I dispute that this is not a special planning process. There is access for the planners to meetings in advance of large-scale developments. We will be discussing later how they consume significant resources, about which local authorities are concerned. Staffing resources and so on that the local authorities do not have will be consumed to facilitate large-scale developments. I do not see any reason they should not just go through the process under the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2021. It is a special process and they will have access to the planners in advance, to try to get their development through in a contracted timeframe. Given that, I want strings attached. Frankly, I want strings attached to all development to ensure it is meeting social and environmental objectives. We need more of that.

If there is a new process being established, it should guarantee equality for people with disabilities that we are required to deliver under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD. It should guarantee that it will significantly contribute to meeting our climate objectives and energy efficiency targets that will benefit the inhabitants of these residences with lower energy bills and so on. This should be tied to any planning process but in particular to large-scale planning and development proposals and especially where they get a bespoke process for the large-scale developments.

I need to get something on the record in case I have to fly to the debate on the Finance Bill and try to bilocate. There should be a greater obligation for social and affordable housing and student affordability in accommodation. Why else would we give them special treatment?