Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

There has been a rank abuse of the system in the cases of the N11, the Arklow sewerage scheme and others. I have outlined the points raised by An Bord Pleanála statistics. Some 32 of the board's decisions last year were challenged in the courts, which is an increase of eight since the previous year. Therefore there must obviously be an integrated approach and we must build on what has been a record in An Bord Pleanála. We must also deal with the manner in which the courts system has been abused to introduce delays which have cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds and added huge amounts of time.

See this speech in context