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

In terms of the example given by Deputy Boyd Barrett, I have had a similar example in my constituency, although not around housing development but public consultation around restricting parking outside a school. Of course most people would agree that such restrictions were very sensible measures to make things safer for the school children but what was not in the public consultation was removing parking spaces outside a nearby community centre. The area has very limited parking so the measure meant that about five parking spaces outside the community centre, which older people and people with disabilities could use, were taken out. None of this was in the public consultation that went on display, so there was no comment from anyone saying those parking spaces were really important and to please leave them alone. There was never any indication that the parking spaces would ever be taken away.

Looking at the area, no one would have imagined that these parking spaces would ever be taken away. The parking spaces have now been taken away and no one was able to say, "The parking spaces are really important as they are the only way I can access the community centre". There could be rights and wrongs to this but there was no input whatsoever in the planning process.

If looking at this in terms of housing development, one could get substantial alternations, which could come out of the Part 8 process. They could be very positive, uncontroversial and with which no one would disagree. For example, and again in my constituency, there is infill housing. One of the things that came out of the public consultation was that we really needed a playground and everybody agreed and the council said, "Let us put in a playground". One would not want something non-controversial and material with which everyone agrees necessarily holding things up or taking things out.