Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I agree with Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan that we would want to ensure that these practices do not happen again and that his experience is not the experience in future. That is why we want to put as much transparency as possible into the system. For example, there are ethics declarations required of councillors, as well as of representatives in the Dáil, in the context of declarations of interest.

The other element is that there is a recommendation that comments which councillors make on planning applications should be recorded appropriately. Most councillors would welcome that because at times they are quite confused about what they can and cannot do. They look at the kind of councillors to whom the Deputy referred getting things done and wonder whether they are supposed to do likewise.

I would be interested in the Deputy's views on the following. Councillors, like members of the public, must pay when making a comment on a planning application. We are looking to possibly waive that fee, but the balance on the other side is that their comments would be fully recorded on the planning file. I certainly would favour that kind of a relationship of councillors with planning so that they are entitled to an opinion but that the opinion would be publicly known. Perhaps that would address some of the Deputy's concerns.

Obviously, there are the issues we have already addressed with regard to transparency and giving reasons where one deviates from a plan, etc. All of that would also address some of the issues he raised.

On the training area, the Irish Planning Institute has offered to assist with the training of councillors in particular. I would be minded to accept its offer. It is a body of professional planners and that would help the quality of the training. Obviously, there are other bodies which provide training but that would address that issue.