John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)

The termination of these investigations directly contradicts one of the principal recommendations of the Mahon report on establishing an independent regulator who would be free from political pressure. The Government should study the report again. By refusing to reverse the decision to downgrade the investigation, the Government is leaving itself wide open to accusations that it is seeking to reduce autonomy and transparency in the planning system. I concur with my colleague, Deputy Catherine Murphy, that there would be blue murder in the House if this had occurred while the Labour Party was in opposition. There are not many Labour Party Deputies in the Chamber to listen to what we are saying, however.

The dogs in the street know that the property bubble was fuelled by systemic failures in planning. If our planning system worked properly neither the councils nor the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government would have anything to fear from a review. The previous Government did not set these inquiries in motion on a whim. The investigation into Carlow County Council was launched on foot of a damning audit which raised major concerns about the council's compliance with its legal obligations. Furthermore, An Taisce has identified massive flaws in planning policy and implementation in 34 city and county councils. Whatever one thinks of An Taisce and why it operates, does its report not warrant investigation? I have no doubt that planning irregularities in local authorities which were not covered by the original investigation have been buried or glossed over. A probe should also be launched into the recent planning controversy in my constituency of Waterford, where a former Fine Gael councillor was convicted of accepting bribes from a developer. Opinion polls reveal significant support for an investigation and people have contacted me and other councillors and Deputies to demand a response.

There is an onus on the Government in this regard. The general public will not accept any attempt to shy away from these matters and there will be a heavy price to pay if further planning irregularities hit the news in the coming years given what has already been revealed by the Mahon tribunal and An Taisce. The Government was elected on a promise that it would tackle the severe shortcomings of our system of governance. Government Deputies said that on television and radio. Downgrading an independent review sends a clear message that the mandate will not be pursued. It signals to the people that the Government is content to allow the planning system to stagnate in a past already exposed by various tribunals. Allowing that to happen is fundamentally corrupt.

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