Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Pringle and all the other Deputies who have contributed. I will deal with a couple of matters relating to the process. To follow on from Deputy O'Callaghan's point, no one would state, and I certainly have not, that this Bill is the silver bullet to solve our issues in the planning process. It is not. Likewise, I agree with Deputy Ó Broin that the return to the two-stage planning process will not mean the end of judicial reviews and residential developments.

Colleagues in government will know, as will Deputies Higgins and McAuliffe, that we are engaged in the most comprehensive review of planning that has been undertaken in decades. We intend to work closely with the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Its Chair, Deputy Matthews, was in the Chamber earlier. My Department, along with the Attorney General, will be moving that work forward with the aim of producing a report by next September, which means five years' work will be done in about ten to 12 months. We need to look at the options for what we can do. Fundamentally, to address the point most Deputies have made, including Deputies Higgins and McAuliffe - I met Deputy McAuliffe's constituents in Santry, which has seen an explosion of developments - we need homes. Let us be straight about it. We talked about housing commencements, which are, thankfully, up substantially year on year, as are commencements in respect of construction. We want to see that. As Minister, I want to see that.

The fact that people felt they were disengaged from the original process was a real problem. It led to issues in communities, including a feeling of disenfranchisement, which was shared by local councillors, in addition to helplessness. In many instances, all councillors could do was send a submission to their local authority that would go to An Bord Pleanála. That is not the way I want to see planning done in Ireland. It is not the way this Government wants to see it done. Hence we are bringing in this legislation.

Developments should be plan-led and should not be a surprise to residents. There is a job of work to be done as to how development plans feed into applications and that clarity is provided for existing residents about what will happen. You will never keep everyone happy. I have seen objections to good developments and good proposals for a wide range of reasons. That is people's want and desire, but I always encourage people to recognise where we are as a State. Fundamentally, we need more homes for our people. I have seen people and councillors objecting to social housing developments and affordable housing developments. That is a right people have and they can stand over it but, in fairness, we need at least to ensure the process becomes more transparent so that, we hope, those types of objections are reduced and good developments happen sooner and in a more efficient way.

What will we do at a pre-planning level? We may not get to pre-planning as we move through the Bill, but we discussed it at length at committee. If someone has a pre-planning consultation, all the records have to be kept by the local authority and when an application is made, they have to be published. They have to be accompanied with the planning application and published on the local authority website. Next week, when I bring in the regulations to support this legislation, we will retain that aspect of the website for the developer or the development in order that the pre-planning discussions must be published there.

The question of what the opinion was at pre-planning also arises. What are we saying? We are saying that good pre-planning happens within set timeframes, with four weeks to request the pre-planning meeting and that request to be turned around, and with the meeting to happen after four weeks. Following a total of eight weeks in the pre-planning process, an opinion must be given. If there are issues with a development and it is inappropriate, that should be known very clearly if someone proceeds with planning. For example, a resident will see that Deputy Ó Broin has applied for a 20-storey apartment block in the middle of Clondalkin, but the planners have actually said-----

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