Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to have an opportunity to contribute. The previous speaker mentioned how we are becoming more attuned to discussing the 15-minute city and the ten-minute town but every Wednesday we discuss the three-hour guillotined debate on important legislation. It is not just because of Covid. It can no longer be the excuse for why we have to condense such important debates into such a short time window.

I thank the committee Chairman and members for allowing me to move my amendments and speak to them on Committee Stage. None of the amendments tabled by the Opposition were accepted. We had 14 hours of debate on Committee Stage and we have three hours today. The Bill has not developed or moved forward in any way or evolved in any significant way for us. We supported it on Second Stage, as the Minister will be aware, because we agree with the concept of a land development agency but for us not enough has been done to protect public lands. Yesterday, we spoke about how important the role of councillors is in our local democracy and how we need to strengthen their role. The Bill does not do this. The LDA is not accountable to the Oireachtas. There is no guarantee the homes that ultimately will be built will be affordable. The Labour Party will not support the Bill for these reasons and because of how the debate has carried on during Report Stage and particularly on Committee Stage. I will leave it there. There is no point adding more performative politics in such a tight three-hour window when nothing will change. We will wait for the guillotine to come down and cast our votes then.

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