Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Martin Kenny for bringing this important Bill to the floor of the House. If this measure had been in place over the last number of years it would have helped many people and young couples who wanted to put a roof over their heads to get planning permission to do so. The Minister of State, Deputy English, and the Government are forever telling us what they are going to do to help people and to provide housing for them. In this instance, we are talking about people who want to build houses for themselves. They are not asking for money. All they are asking for is permission to build a home for themselves but they are being denied it. In places such as Gneeveguilla, Scartaglin, Castletownbere, Lauragh and Sneem the ground is heavy. Several proposals, whether for a raised bed or otherwise, were shot down and people were refused a discharge licence for a rural cottage. Many people have applied for a discharge licence. During a meeting in the council chamber I stood up and said that the council was robbing the people because it has not granted even one discharge licence. That is the truth. Not one discharge licence has been granted. The facility to apply exists but a licence will not be granted. We want change.

The Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, read out a speech that had been written for him. I know that he did not understand any of what he read out. I do understand it. Propositions can be put together and once a discharge licence can be obtained people will have a chance to put a roof over their heads. The Minister of State, Deputy English, said that there is a review under way of the rural group schemes and so on, which is fine, but the review will not include the issue addressed in Deputy Martin Kenny's Bill.

Instead of opposing the Bill and tabling an amendment seeking to delay it until the end of 2019, I am asking the Minister of State to allow it to proceed to committee where it can be discussed with the EPA. The people who made in the presentation in the audiovisual room today could also make a presentation to the committee. Southern Scientific, which is operated by Michael Murphy in Killarney will tell its side of the story to the committee, which is representative of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, the Labour Party, the Independents, the Green Party and others. We want an opportunity to thrash out the issues to see who is right and who is wrong. We believe that we are right because we have been told by the professionals that there are systems that will work. We want to give those systems a chance. We want to allow people the chance to build, including the young man who could not get permission to build on his own farm or a couple of miles away in another townland owing to the rural settlement rules. Is this young man expected to purchase an expensive house in a town at a cost of €500,000 or €600,000? He cannot do that, because he cannot afford it. This is the reason people are homeless. All we are asking for is fair play. I ask the Minister of State to withdraw his amendment and not to hold up the Bill so that people in rural areas will have the opportunity to live in their areas.

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