James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With the indulgence of the Cathaoirleach, I just want to make a suggestion concerning planning. I do not like throwing stones without giving solutions. There is a big habit here in the Oireachtas of doing this. Regarding An Bord Pleanála, and Ms Oonagh Buckley said she was open to this as well, when the board is being reformed, we must separate out the system where there is a key infrastructure project, whether this a new metro or rail line or a hospital. There is a need to have a separate process dealing with decisions of this type, whether it concerns a rail order submission or an objection. I refer to a process that is different from that undertaken regarding, for example, Nancy's bungalow, where some neighbour has made a complaint about the extension made to the side of the house.

Instead of having all the planning applications bundled into one queue, which is pretty much what is going on in the board now, and the representatives of the board partially admitted this the last day they appeared before the Committee of Public Accounts, they should be separated out. A strategic infrastructure unit should be established that deals with these types of projects. Such a unit could even be broken down further. A team of 50 people in An Bord Pleanála could be dealing specifically with applications concerning public transport projects. To deal with the decarbonisation of transport in Ireland, we obviously need this type of approach for all the forthcoming decisions that will have to be made and the associated pain around bus lanes and new rail infrastructure and lines, as well as the development of airport infrastructure.

Ultimately, all these types of decisions will come down the line and the decision-making process in this regard must be separated out from the nitty-gritty of small planning objections. I say this because the system in place now is a joke. Fifty decisions are being made monthly when there is a need to process 300. How in God's name is this sustainable? It is not. There is nothing the Minister can say to me in response to tell me things are okay, because they are not. I refer as well to the hiring and recruitment of the additional staff in An Bord Pleanála. This is linked to the work of the Minister's Department as well, although it does concern local government. This aspect is entirely linked to the pace of delivery the Minister can effect.

The filling of these staffing vacancies is just not happening quickly enough. Every Minister tells me a lot is being done. In reality, however, when we look at the additional numbers of staff being taken on, it is pitiful. The total represents less than 10% growth in the size of the organisation compared with its staff complement last year. Could international expertise not be brought in and the bloody salaries required be paid? I know that a great deal of money would need to be paid in this regard, but the return for the economy in speeding up the delivery of infrastructure would be counted not in tens or even hundreds of millions of euro but in billions of euro. I just cannot see why a gaggle of senior civil servants and officials in State agencies seem to be arguing over what is or is not the right thing to do when it is so bloody visible. It is so frustrating.