Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding Deputy Michael Collins's question, the issue he raised has nothing to do with an exemption. That is a planning permission and a licence permission issue, and it would be unfair to confuse this debate on exemptions in that way. There are other issues in this regard, and my job is to try to put conditions on the exemption to ensure we develop it sustainably. I have done what I can from my end. As Deputy Collins himself said, it was granted a significant number of years ago by previous Ministers. I have tried to ensure we control it as best we possibly can.

Regarding the point as to how we can guarantee this, we will issue guidance to the local authorities specifically to monitor and watch this, but all the current building control regulations kick in. The assigned certifier, the design certifier - all that is there for any other building is there for this as well. There is no way out of this for anyone; it is not a quick way out. However, I agree with everyone here that we need to strengthen the local authorities' manpower and finances for building control in general and for development control. We will do that, but there is no lessening of regulations for these buildings in this exemption. Because of the nature of what we are doing here, I will ask local authorities to monitor this more closely and we will strengthen their resources to do that. However, again, we are not changing the rules for these buildings at all; we are just introducing an exemption from planning permission.

The planning enforcement powers will not change because of this proposal. This exemption does not lessen the planning enforcement powers the local authorities have. I agree with Deputy Ó Broin that, in terms of funding and personnel, we should strengthen their teams through this, not just for this case, and we will do that. There are issues with the vacancy Bill that we are still trying to tease through. We do not agree with everything in it, as we discussed at the committee yesterday, but this proposal is a reflection of much of what is in that Bill. I recognise the work that Fianna Fáil and the committee have done on that Bill. I was not trying to-----

See this speech in context