Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

That is where the real problem lies. I do not believe that the measures the Minister is proposing to introduce in this legislation will do a great deal to speed up the process. In fact, doing something about deterring developers from sitting on sites with permission would do far more. I intend to bring in legislation next week to address this in the context of the Kenny report and by bringing forward the vacant sites levy. That is for another day, but the fact that there are so many existing planning permissions is enough to suggest that the problem does not lie with the local tier of the planning process.

I welcome the measures in respect of the extension of planning permission. The Minister has said that this will only apply where substantial work has been carried out. I know the Minister has brought this forward in the Seanad. That is welcome because we do not want people getting extensions to planning permissions simply because they want to delay the process. They have to show that they have done some work. That measure is welcome.

Overall, there is much good in this legislation, but the issue of real concern to me and others in the Chamber is the erosion of the local tier of the planning process. Genuine principles of local democracy are at stake in this regard. Councillors rightly have a limited role in planning processes, but at the same time they have the opportunity to raise issues about planning, and local communities have the opportunity to submit comments on planning applications. This process will now be centralised through An Bord Pleanála. I do not believe this will greatly speed up the process of construction. While this is what we all want to achieve, the answers lie elsewhere than in this measure in the Bill. However, overall, as I said, I acknowledge that there are good elements in the Bill as well.

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