Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion, although I do have some sympathy for Fianna Fáil as it has been left with the disastrous housing strategy of the previous Fine Gael Government. We now have a planning policy primarily based around transport and climate change for rural towns where no public transport infrastructure exists. We have a policy that has little regard for the social consequences for future generations of low-income families and one that has not been reconsidered in light of the massive changes in society as a result of Covid-19. This policy will change the supply of housing, drive up house prices and destroy towns in rural Ireland. The policy does not, in the majority of cases, allow the building of family homes with front and back gardens. The World Bank has said that the merits of the policy are by no means clear and that it was not evident that its objectives were desired by the majority of urban residents. This policy has failed everywhere and was abandoned by the British in 2010.

On 1 April I addressed the issue of a missive from the Office of the Planning Regulator to Wexford County Council where clearly, the regulator was acting ultra vires. Subsequent to that contribution, the regulator issued a deluge of diatribe to the press saying that I was misleading and inaccurate, which is complete rubbish. I had the opportunity to challenge the regulator yesterday when he made a presentation to the Regional Group. The man is incapable of answering a question. It is now clear that the regulator is misleading councillors and politicians the length and breadth of this country. He is completely ignoring the Minister's circular on density issued on 21 April, clearly-----

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