Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Yes, if it has commenced, but the other thing that can be done, as per the example I cited, is that another planning application can be lodged. In the example I gave, the property was flipped. It has had at least three different owners in a period of approximately 20 years and when a bit of heat was put on, including a discussion by the council about using a compulsory purchase order to buy the property, a planning application was lashed in, but nothing happened with it. Then the property was flipped and another planning application was lodged and I bet my bottom dollar that nothing will happen with that and that the owners have no intention of doing the development they say they will. Therefore, we need to put serious pressure on them. I am not for making life more difficult or having downside impacts but at the moment there is too much scope for abuse. Our amendment is trying to get at that. We need to put the squeeze on them to get a move on or to prove that they are serious about developing the site.

I am not sure where it comes in the groupings, but I will flag that we have tabled a connected amendment that talks about use-it-or-lose-it provisions, essentially if it is clearly evident that people are speculating and land hoarding, that there would be a mechanism to transfer such land that may be suitable and is urgently needed for residential development into the hands of the local authority. It is amendment No. 785. I am not sure which section it amends.