Ms Attracta U? Bhroin:

I would respectfully disagree. I foresee this proposed legislation making things absolutely worse. We are effectively reverting to a pre-1976 position. There is capacity to do things wrong. Without question - I agree with Mr. Lawlor on this - the board was the jewel in the crown of our planning system, but to some degree that was consequential on circumstance and fortune rather than a function of the general scheme as it stands. There is room for improvement within the eventual legislation, but not in this general scheme, not with this approach and not with the extent of discretion the Minister is seeking, which is quite an extraordinary political reaction to what we have seen over the recent period. It is not consistent with the degree of accountability that is appropriate to a democracy of our nature or to the type of Ireland in which I want to live.