Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Section 20C of the Planning and Development Act 2000 states:

(8) The Government shall submit the draft of the revised or new National Planning Framework together with the Environmental Report and Appropriate Assessment Report for the approval of each House of the Oireachtas before it is published.

(9) In preparing or revising the National Planning Framework, the Government shall have regard to any resolution or report of, or of any committee of the Oireachtas that is made [...]

The 2000 Act is better than what is in front of us now. Since the 2000 Act we have had the Mahon tribunal, which was very costly and lengthy but also very necessary because of planning corruption in this country. The general public would expect the Government to implement in full the recommendations of the Mahon tribunal. There has never been any statement from the Government that I am aware of saying that it is against implementing in full the recommendations of the Mahon tribunal. Since its publication, that was the direction of travel and the consensus. Now the Government is departing from implementing in full the recommendations. Not only is the Government doing that, it is going backwards in terms of where the legislation from 2000 is. What is the rationale for taking away this democratic participation and oversight in the process? What is the rationale for not going in full with the recommendations of the Mahon tribunal?