Ms Mary Hughes:

Perhaps it is not only the block layers and electricians that need to be looked at in terms of incentivising them back to Ireland, but also the planners. If the proposed heads of Bill are enacted into legislation, the workload of the many local authorities throughout the country will significantly increase. It is important that the planning system is properly resourced and perhaps then we will have a planning system that will function effectively and address some of the issues Mr. McKeon highlighted.

As an institute we welcome legislation that will promote and advance development in the countries and particularly focus on the regeneration of towns and villages, but it is critically important that the legislation and the planning system remains transparent, credible and consistent to ensure there is confidence in the market and in the planning system to advance projects. There are many errors in the existing legislation and the proposed heads of Bill would not appear to address those errors and inaccuracies. In terms of ensuring a consistent and credible planning system in the future, it is important that the shortfalls in existing legislation are addressed. Overall, however, we would welcome the direction in which the legislation is heading.