Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The very reason we are here is because of Covid. We are making provision for councillors to extend the process to form county development plans that suit their county. I ask the Minister to delete the section that does not allow existing planning permissions that have not substantially commenced. The reality is that if they have not broken ground it is because of Covid. We have had the only building sector in Europe that has been substantially closed down for almost two years. In the teeth of a housing crisis, how do we ever expect to get housing off the ground and supply the numerous houses that changed from 10,000 to 20,000 to 30,000 to now 40,000 per annum? I ask the Minister to do that because it is the fairest thing to do. It is a bureaucratic provision. Everybody should be afforded the same extension. Substantial moneys have been put into a lot of projects that may not reapply and they may be able to go ahead if they are given an extension. I ask the Minister to not further constrict the housing supply with a needless bureaucratic provision that specifies the extension only pertains to certain planning permissions that are already granted and delayed because of Covid.

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