Michael Mulcahy (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)

I also strongly support the proposed amendment. It is very important that proper planning and sustainable development form part of the ethos of NAMA. In line with what I stated in my earlier contribution, we must always remember that the primary purpose of NAMA will be to repay the sum of €54 billion out of the proper assets back to the European Union because it remains a liability of the Irish people. I note that in the amendment it appears that sustainability in planning specifically applies to only paragraphs (s), (z), (ab) and (ac) of section 12(2). Why was it not directed towards paragraphs (u), (w) and (aa) of the section? Perhaps there is no need to do so.

I do not want to go too much further in my remarks on this but some of the more outrageous comments of Deputy Burton should not stand unanswered in the Chamber. She implied that every hotel built in rural Ireland in the past ten to 12 years was the result of Fianna Fáil cronyism. I presume she is not trying to cast aspersions on the planning authorities because I presume all of those hotels were properly built subject to local planning laws. If she has information to the contrary perhaps she will provide it to the relevant authorities.

Deputy Burton also implied that these hotels were not sustainable. Many of these hotels were excellent developments which radically transformed the tourism landscape in the country and helped to increase the number of tourists visiting the country. Although our tourist numbers have decreased this year, it is because of a worldwide tourism recession, which I hope we will get out of. To cast aspersions on the entire rural hotel industry and state it is a Fianna Fáil production is outrageous, cheap and has nothing to do with this amendment. In our contributions on these topics we should try to stick to the point and not engage in petty political speeches of the type we heard from Deputy Burton.

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