Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil is the party which, throughout its lifetime, has credited itself for being the provider of homes for generations. The previous Government issued guidelines that prevented housing development outside the M50. The Mahon tribunal found that, in effect, the planning policy adopted by Governments facilitated the practice of payment for zoning. Now, new planning policy is effectively demanding dezoning of large amounts of serviced lands in every rural town and, indeed, within the M50. Should the Government pursue this Stalinist policy, it will not achieve housing targets. Not only that, but it will create an environment where payment for planning permissions will return. Low income families will be forced into ghettoes and everybody knows the social problems that will ensue.

The Taoiseach may not be aware that up to 80% of land in rural towns will be effectively dezoned during the current development plan formation process. In Wexford town alone, 600 acres of mostly serviced land will be effectively dezoned. Planners repeatedly say that commercial considerations are not planning considerations. They clearly live in a parallel universe, as does the Planning Regulator.

I ask the Taoiseach to confirm that, in order to ensure the Government meets its housing targets, the following will not happen in the formation of county development plans across the country. The first matter is that no serviced lands for housing with existing planning permissions will be effectively dezoned. The second is that no tiered zonings will be applied to existing serviced owned lands, such that planning departments of local authorities can arbitrarily decide what lands get planning permission and what lands do not.

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