Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I have sympathy for the Minister having to take this part of Report Stage effectively under another Minister's portfolio. There is a complex implication here because the amendment refers to the draft development plan or local area plan, which is what the legislation refers to also, but is a contravention of a county development plan, for example, included or excluded? That type of minutiae that Members here will be familiar with was not teased out at the time. The only reason this measure was introduced, and I agree with previous speakers in this regard, was because of bluff, bluster and spin from the Green Party Members which allowed them pretend to their own members, and perhaps some gullible members of the public who might fall for it, that they were achieving something when in fact they were not.

I will give the Minister a brief example. When I was a member of a local authority I had occasion to examine category 2 development plans and in one instance an old farmer owned land that stretched almost to the centre of this category 2 development plan, which was a largely rural area. While he was alive that old farmer would never part with that land for any purpose other than agriculture. He was never going to allow it be developed for building purposes for any reason or for any amount of money. There was not the remotest chance of that yet that land was rezoned for housing purposes. If that case applied now that farmer would be pursued for 80% of the value of the property and he would not have the funds. Would he, therefore, lose his entire farm?

Certain exclusions and subtleties that needed to be dealt with in the circumstances were not dealt with. As Deputy Bruton rightly pointed out, this debate was, as usual, placed under guillotine and we did not have time to tease out these matters and point out the significant difficulties involved.

If we want to deal with the question of heritage sites throughout the country, and I am sure we do, this legislation must be reviewed urgently. I do not know that it can be done as quickly as Deputy Ring would wish. I would prefer if it could be, and would support that, but it must come back before this House for scrutiny to give it proper shape, rather than this mad, Green Party spin idea to rush it through and let others pick up the price for it.

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