Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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I only caught the end of Deputy O'Callaghan's contribution but he touched on public confidence in the planning system, which has to be foremost. Public confidence has been shaken over the years and in recent times. I will not go through the SHDs. They are finished and we have replaced them but public confidence was shaken there. It was previously described as the local area plan and the development plan. It is a contract between the people, the local authority and the councillors who pass those plans democratically on how their area will grow. We should not forget the Mahon tribunal and its findings. Planners get a hard time and they are held up as the scapegoats and whipping boys in the planning system. That is unfair because, looking at the Mahon tribunal and the legacy issues from poor planning, it was about political interference in the planning system, not interference from planners. We should never forget the recommendations of the Mahon tribunal, including that the OPR be set up, which was one of the most positive moves we had in planning and I would like to see that role strengthened.

I will stick to observations on the development plan because we are looking at that today. A consultation on development plan guidelines was undertaken last year and that is completed now. Is there a departmental review of the input into that? If that review is available it would be helpful. Is the review being included in the Department's considerations?