Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is regrettable that the Minister is not here. I have been a public representative in various guises for 20 years and, like every other Member, I have never had to deal with such a crisis in housing provision in the State. It is a fact that rather than getting nearer to the solutions, the issues are getting harder. Whether it is people in work who cannot afford rent or to buy or whether they are people who would normally be covered by our social housing provision, there is nothing there for them. For years now, we have had desperate people coming to us and the answer has been that there is nothing there for them. It is a consequence of Government policy, which we do not say lightly. The proof is in the reality. The policies which are being put forward now are not only not addressing the problem, but they are actually adding to it and making it worse. We need a new direction. The Bill before us was supposed to implement the recommendations of the Mahon tribunal which was established on foot of serious enough problems as it was with planning corruption. In fact, it does not address any of those things and, in that sense, is a missed opportunity.

We now have a new form of colonialism in Ireland with the country having been sold to vulture funds. The citizens are like modern day slaves who cannot get any security of tenure. It is really regrettable. Like Deputy Wallace said, I understand fully why the Minister is not here. Deputy Coveney's leadership quest will probably not be served well by being associated with this debacle, which is not all his fault or anything like it, being a consequence of Government policy. It is an issue with which we are not dealing appropriately.

As to the amendments in the grouping, I record my support in particular for amendments Nos. 82 and 85 in the name of Deputy Ó Broin. I recognise the good work done by the Irish Environmental Network and other community and voluntary organisations which have been to the forefront in demanding accountability in planning and the implementation of our obligations under the Aarhus Convention and addressing democracy in environmental issues. That is what these provisions do, in particular amendment No. 85 which deals with public participation in screening decisions for EIAs and compliance with the Aarhus Convention. This is very important and should be specified in the Bill, in particular given the late transposition of the EIA directive yesterday, but also because one will get better outcomes in planning if one negotiates and consults early on. Quite apart from the fact that it is a legislative requirement, one will have much more robust decision-making if one engages with people at an early stage.

It is very worrying that we have not enacted provisions which could be proven in court to be obligations under the Aarhus Convention. Last week, we saw in a reply to Deputy Eamon Ryan on the new runway at Dublin Airport that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport said he was not going to have any formal public consultation on the transposition of the new EU regulation in the context of noise at the airport. However, that is a requirement under the Aarhus Convention. As such, it is entirely appropriate that it is reinforced here. As such, I support amendment No. 85 as well as amendment No. 82, which is a proposal to rescreen for EIA and AA before any extension of duration. They are very important amendments from a democratic perspective and would lead to much more robust planning.

See this speech in context