Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I wish to refer to the Minister of State's response to my statement that the consultation process provided for in the Bill is make believe. It is make believe. Let us be clear about what will happen. The projects in the Seventh Schedule will get permission from An Bord Pleanála. The only circumstance in which they will not get permission is if a dog's dinner is made of writing the environmental impact study, and that would be very difficult because the developers will go to An Bord Pleanála before making an application, will be taken by the hand and walked through what is required in the environmental impact study. Not one project in the Seventh Schedule would not qualify under section 37A as strategic infrastructure. If there were any doubt about it, there is a separate definition of strategic infrastructure contained in section 6, Part 3 of the Bill. All these projects will qualify as strategic infrastructure and so they are in the tent. In what set of circumstances will An Bord Pleanála, having first decided they are strategic infrastructure, decide to refuse planning permission for them? The only circumstance in which it will decide to refuse planning permission is if the environmental impact survey is totally messed up. We should be honest about the position. The decks are being cleared; the planning process is being cleared. It will remain on paper and remain as make believe. The provisions that the file and the proposals be sent back to the local authority for consultation and allowing this number of weeks for observations, is all codology. Once it qualifies as a strategic infrastructure project and the environmental impact survey is written as guided by An Bord Pleanála, it is a done deal and planning permission will follow.

I cannot envisage An Bord Pleanála making a decision to refuse permission for any of these projects, of which there already is an example. The An Bord Pleanála inspector gave 15 reasons why permission should be refused for the toxic waste incinerator in Ringaskiddy following an oral hearing. This is in the Minister of State's constituency. There were 15 reasons why it should be refused but the board gave it permission. It gave permission in that case because it is this Government's policy to build it. Once the environmental impact survey is written on any of these projects and with all the boxes ticked as guided by An Bord Pleanála, planning permission will be granted.

A lot of guff is being talked in the House about process but the process is fake. This is removing these projects de facto from real decision making about planning permission. There is not a doubt in the world that any of these projects such as an incinerator, a wind farm, a landfill, a major road, a port or harbour or Greystones marina, will get permission once they qualify under these criteria.

See this speech in context