Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I know, but I wish to give a quick example in passing. It relates to housing planning and housing need. Every house that is provided lends itself to the housing stock, whether it is a private house in a rural area, a private house in an urban setting or a local authority house. Each contributes to the housing stock in their own way. In those circumstances I ask the Minister to bear in mind, and the local authorities certainly should bear it in mind as well as An Bord Pleanála, that there is a need to ensure everybody contributes and puts their shoulder to the wheel, their nose to the grindstone or whatever else they wish to do, in order that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet.

My last point is that it is important that an objector has a right to object. It is not a requirement. It is a right and we must guard it and ensure it is used whenever necessary. However, there are a number of habitual objectors who can object from a distance of 100 miles and sometimes more. I do not know what relevance the planned development has for them. I am sure it is something we have missed over the years. However, it causes really serious problems for the planning authorities and for the applicants who apply for planning permission in local areas where there is a local need. The objector from afar or the serial objector can create real problems in this regard.

Somebody referred to the old system. Yes, we did many things under the old system. However, some of those things were not great.

See this speech in context