Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate and thank Deputy Niall Collins for tabling this motion. Many speakers have spoken about the need for confidence in the planning system and for us to learn from past mistakes, of which there were many. If there is confidence in the system, there should be no fear of inquiries, which has, in part, been the reaction down through the years when inquiries were undertaken.

I welcome the Government's report and support the proposal that it be forwarded to the Joint Committee on the Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht in order that recommendations can be made. In spite of the fact that politicians do not make planning decisions, they have a bad name in respect of planning issues. Bad decisions were made in respect of zoning, a culture which led to over-supply in many parts of the country, which, in turn, affected water quality and supply.

We are all aware of the intervention of former Minister, Mr. Gormley, with some councils. Former Minister, Mr. Eamon Ryan, referred this morning to the madness of some county development plans. It is now two years since the summer of 2010 when the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. Gormley, announced a review. That review has been going on a long time. There is a need for some progress to be made on these reviews.

I was interested to hear the comments last night and tonight about An Taisce, which has referred to the need to appoint an independent regulator in the planning system, a point taken up by many environmental correspondents. We are all familiar with the good work done by An Taisce in terms of green flags in schools and blue flags on beaches. In An Taisce's State of the Nation: A Review of Ireland's Planning System 2010-2011 Galway City Council did very well but Galway County Council did not do too well. It states that while Galway city fared best the county's failure to properly control where housing development took place placed an incredible burden on the city. I do not agree with that. Galway City Council and Galway County Council are separate housing authorities, as is Ballinasloe town in the county. While I would welcome consultations between those bodies, it is up to each of them to make their decisions. While there were difficulties in the county in terms of decisions not being made in the best interests, it was not all about the city.

On unfinished housing estates, we need to build on the initiative taken by former Minister of State with responsibility for housing and planning, Deputy Penrose. On rural housing - I live in a rural area - I regret that rural housing has been abandoned. I say this as Fianna Fáil spokesperson on this issue. I note that this year Galway County Council has received funding for only a handful of rural housing, possibly two or three. The people concerned are living in poor housing conditions and wish to live in rural Ireland. Mistakes have been in regard to development on flood plains and low lying land, which again is evident in my own county. One knows there are problems when people have to be relocated, as happened in the 1990s and may happen again as a result of the 2009 flooding.

I support Deputy Kyne's comments on the 25 applications in Galway which were investigated between 2007 and 2009, the bulk of which were overturned by An Bord Pleanála. I understand that the appeal rate was 4%, which is half the national rate. As a result the Department did not support the complainants' assertions. Some 11,000 applications were dealt with by Galway County Council at that time.

I welcome the intention to appoint an independent consultant. However, I would go much further and appoint a permanent watchdog. Mr. Frank McDonald states in an article in today's The Irish Times that a planning watchdog is unlikely to be appointed. That is his view. I would be disappointed if that were the case. We must reopen the independent inquiries and build confidence in the planning process.

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