Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State said she thinks she knows of the frustration out there but I do not think she does. We listen to it on a continuous basis from farmers, stakeholders and the whole lot. One particular problem is consultation between departments and so on. People tell us that from the time they submit applications, they hear nothing from the Department and they do not know when it is being looked at. At meeting after meeting, the Minister of State and officials have come in here and tell us that things are improving. We came back in today to hear about the Mackinnon report and about how only three out of 21 actions have been implemented after nearly two years. Nothing. As the Minister of State said, none of us can click our fingers and get the Mackinnon recommendations implemented. However, after two years, we would expect more than three sections of it to be implemented. If it keeps going at this rate, there will be two more Governments replacing the Minister of State and the rest of us before it is fully implemented.

In the Minister of State’s opening statement, she talked about consistent negative messaging. That is why there is frustration in the sector. As the Chair and everyone else said, we have come in here since we were formed, time and again, to be told that it is improving. The Minister of State and her officials seem to be the only ones who think this improving. The stakeholders and farmers that we are meeting will say it is not working.

I have a couple of quick questions. On the present Planning and Development Act that is associated with regulations in respect of the broadleaf, the Minister of State said her Department is engaging with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on the issue and there might be a route to amending legislation to allow that kind of replacement of sites under 10 ha. Can the Minister of State tell us what level of progress has been made on that?