Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

There are good infrastructure projects in Tallaght, particularly the Luas. I am delighted the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, has announced the Luas extension through west Tallaght with strategic stops. I am campaigning for the extension of the Tallaght bypass beyond Jobstown to Brittas. Not only could the people of south-west Dublin use it, but people from Wicklow could take a short cut home through Tallaght.

Deputy Ring spoke about pre-planning consultations where people get an expectation of an application but it changes. I have often raised this issue concerning planning applications in Brittas, Saggart and Bohernabreena. If the planners — I am not just picking on south-west Dublin — feel there should be no housing in certain areas, they should be allowed to make that decision and explain why. While we might not be happy about it, we would at least understand it. Due to my long experience as a public representative many people expect me to be able to inform them what action the local authority may take on a planning application. One cannot do so because, not only in South Dublin County Council but throughout the country, there is considerable inconsistency in planning decisions. One would not have a clue what the planning authorities are thinking.

One-off housing can be difficult for people wanting to build a house in a quiet spot. The Minister, Deputy Roche, is no doubt aware of this from his area, as is the Acting Chairman, Deputy McGinley, from his experience in County Donegal. There is an inconsistency in how decisions are taken, not just in Tallaght but elsewhere, and this matter must be examined. I hope the Minister will take account of what has been said.

This brings me to the issue of consultation. I have exchanged correspondence with the Minister on many occasions and he has been kind enough to answer me directly about what is taking place in Tallaght. I have already stated what a positive place it is. However, recent developments in Tallaght are upsetting the community, namely, the sudden emphasis on the building of apartment complexes. The population in the area has risen sharply in the past 30 years as many new houses were built there. In the general Tallaght area, a considerable number of apartment buildings have been developed, which brings its own challenges.

I previously raised the subject of management companies in a Private Members' debate and in parliamentary questions and I am aware the Minister is examining this issue. It is a source of concern to my constituents and many others. The Minister must take on board this problem and find a resolution. Many community activists, especially in the Tallaght area, have exercised themselves in recent times and written to the Minister about their concerns. The Tallaght Echo is always a good read and this morning's edition contains an article by the county manager, Joe Horan, giving the council's view on the matter. This is an attempt to balance what has been written recently by community groups and others.

I often joke that I am not really from Tallaght. Someone said that to me during the previous general election and it is true that I am not from there originally, but I have lived there for 36 years. He did not think that was a long time. I hope I will live in Tallaght forever. I feel strongly about my town and I spend as much time in it as I can. I mostly only leave it to attend the Dáil. I am concerned about its development.

The sudden explosion of apartment buildings has had a major impact on the population density and this gives rise to concerns about transport and parking. It is impossible to get parking in the Tallaght area in the mornings. I go to Tallaght village every morning and it is always a challenge to get a car parking space. Given the recent development that has taken place, it is important that provision is made for schools, health care and all the other facilities that are required. Tallaght has done well and the infrastructural development there has been impressive. However, 16 years after the opening of The Square, the area is experiencing difficulty in coping with the extra pressures that will be faced due to the higher density of building projects.

I apologise for referring to Deputy Ring again but I must return to the issue of local planning. I have had a great deal of contact this week with South Dublin County Council on foot of complaints from residents that planning regulations are not being enforced and that builders on a site adjacent to The Square facing Virginia Heights and in the village at Greenhills Road are not complying with planning permission and are not working within the hours to which they are restricted within the terms of the planning permission. They are raising dust and not dealing with environmental issues relating to cleaning and so on. In the case of one site on the Greenhills Road in Tallaght, a danger was created for the local resident in Court Cottage by not restricting the use of a crane.

It is important that we all fight for proper development and that we campaign for good facilities to ensure our communities are well served. At the same time, we must understand that people, especially those in a settled community, can get very upset and intimidated by the building work going on around them. I wish to be as positive as possible about development but we must be mindful of issues that require attention. It is important that we put pressure on local authorities in this regard. I accept that South Dublin County Council is not unique in its approach.

It is important to make the point that communities expect the planning authority to uphold its regulations and, when that does not happen, people get very unhappy and look to the political system to resolve the issue. In some cases, people blame the political system for the problem in the first place. That is fair enough because one is entitled to look to one's politicians for a solution. In the next 300 days or so before the next general election, the vulnerability of local politicians will be exposed as people will hear all sorts of promises from the new kids on the block. People will raise these issues, which is as it should be in a democracy, and I have no problem with that.

I was not born into a political dynasty but came to politics through getting involved in local issues in my community and campaigning about the lack of planning on infrastructure and facilities in the area. People encouraged me at that level, as was the case with many colleagues around the House, and we became involved in politics. We have a responsibility to represent what people say. I will not discuss the dual mandate in detail except to say that sometimes I am concerned about the strength of representation at local level, especially in the period following a local election when many new people are elected. I wonder how the councils operate without the experience of members who were also Members of the Oireachtas. I say this on a cross-party basis. A gap has developed in that regard.

I do not wish to say too much of a party political nature on this quiet Thursday but it sometimes amuses me, as I know it will amuse the Minister, that colleagues throughout the country blame the Government for everything in terms of infrastructural development and planning. That is predictable enough and happens in every democracy. One can always blame the Government and say it did not do enough, more resources should have been provided and more should have been done. However, we should not forget that devolution has been successful and councils are now more autonomous and responsible for planning in their areas.

The majority of councils are now controlled by the Labour Party, the Fine Gael Party and the Green Party. That is certainly the case in South Dublin County Council and these parties should take some responsibility. It is easy to blame the Government for everything. Whenever I hear complaints about planning, such as the matters to which I referred concerning Tallaght, it is said that it is the fault of the Government or the Minister, Deputy Roche, and he should sort out the problems. The fact is that we have devolved this authority to the council.

I was a member of Dublin County Council since 1991 and South Dublin County Council since its formation in 1994 until after the previous general election. Local authorities must take on board their responsibilities and do the job allocated to them. I call on the controlling groups in the council, including South Dublin County Council, to fulfil their responsibility in that regard. If the job is not being done by officialdom, let us apply pressure and ensure the issue is tackled. Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that a proposed development which will benefit communities through the provision of infrastructure and new facilities gets bogged down in criticism about builders not sweeping the roads and so on. We must take action in this regard.

It is important to support this Bill. The significance of the Minister's objectives and achievements in this area has been well signalled by the major interest in the Bill. It seems to have caught Members' imagination and Deputies from all parties have spoken on the various issues. It has been a good exercise and I am sure the Minister, who already has a major reservoir of information on environmental matters, has found it useful. I understand it must be difficult for him to absorb all the information as he listens to the successive contributions from Members representing the case for Roscommon, Cork, Mayo, Carlow, Tallaght and so on. I wish him well and am pleased to offer my support for this legislation.

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