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

I too want clarification or to be assured by the Minister that what we are doing tonight will allow planning permission to be extended for people who are building their own homes, who fully intended doing so in the past 12 months or so, and then were refused funds by the banks or lending institutions because one or other person in a couple, or both, were on the pandemic unemployment payment. Many banks and lending institutions refused to give them money, so planning and building have been stalled.

In other instances where people wanted to apply for retention and where their planning was running out for commercial developments, they could not process their applications and get them together because architects and engineers were slow to come out as they were working from home. Many projects needed interaction with planners and various bodies to get going and they were held up.

Is the scenario I outlined first where people want to build homes for themselves included? In County Kerry, planning permission is for five years and then there is an extension for another five years to ten years but there are cases where people were at the end of the period and they were refused funds. Are those the types of scenario to which the Minister will give an extension of two years? If he does, I would support the measure because there is a need for it.

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