Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is making two assumptions that may not be correct. First, he is assuming that if the developers had gone through the old two-step process, somehow these dwellings - homes, houses or whatever you want to call them - would be under construction. He is assuming that, but he does not have evidence to back it up. Second, he is saying that landowners and builders use the fast-track planning process to get planning permission for their land in order to increase its value. That may well be the case, but they could have done that anyway through the old process of applying to the council and getting permission for 150 units, thereby adding to the value of the land. The two assumptions made by the Deputy are not backed up by evidence. The Department has carried out a review. When any new policy decision is made or any new scheme is launched, it is sensible to review it after two or three years to see how it is going. In the coming weeks, the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, will be in a position to bring the review that has been carried out by the Department to the Cabinet and to make it public.

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