Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

Does the Minister accept that councillors, in making decisions on rezoning matters under their reserve functions, exercise a quasi-judicial role? As such, they are expected to take into account the arguments made by professionals and technical staff. A judge would not offer an opinion as to the guilt of a defendant before hearing evidence in a case. I ask that this be taken into account as a benchmark for the manner in which councillors will be expected to behave with regard to planning matters, which have serious financial implications and major consequences for communities. Will the Minister consider requiring local authorities to establish an ethical point of reference, for example, by appointing an officer to provide training in the ethical standards and parameters which should apply? It could also be a point of contact for those seeking to report suspicions that ethical standards are not as they should be. Such persons should be given senior positions and provided with appropriate training.

We need to get over a particularly shameful period in our history about which the tribunals continually remind us. Can we address the issue of the Kenny report, for which, according to the all-party committee, we would not need a referendum and can be implemented if the political will exists, and which should remove the enormous temptation that continues to pertain to such decisions? Despite the Minister's belief that all is well in local authorities, the temptation has not gone away. That is a fundamental source of many of the problems raised at the tribunals and the Government needs to address it because it will not go away of its own accord. I concur with Deputy Gilmore that legislation on whistleblowers is long overdue and I ask the Minister to support that.

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