Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I echo the points made by other speakers. We have to come to a decision that applies right across the country. People should be treated equally and the consistency that has been referred to should apply. It applies in town and country, as the Ceann Comhairle and I well know because we have had those debates in the past. There was a case once upon a time where there was a massive debate about an incline. There was a hill, for want of a better description, and the ridges of the houses had to differ. As it was proposed to raise the ridge tile nine inches, which had to be done or the work could not be carried out, the planning permission was refused. It is crazy stuff.

I would not be in favour of facilitating people who object to housing at all. However, I would always qualify any observation I make with the fact that it is not an objection to the concept but the way in which it has been done. It is quite simple.

The other thing I cannot understand, as it is an abuse of the Planning Act, is why somebody living 50 miles or 100 miles away from a development can slap in an application or objection. They win the case every time. The Ceann Comhairle and I know that applies right across the country. It is an abuse of power. People live on the basis of the success they have achieved doing exactly that and frustrating everybody else. There is an expectation that people living in rural Ireland or semi-rural Ireland want to look after their parents and be within reach of them, to give care and attention to their parents as they get older. Why do people frustrate that? There is no need for it at all. What is even worse is that when those people, whose families have lived for 50 or 60 years or four or five generations in the area, get refused planning permission, suddenly somebody comes in with what seems a good idea and they are told it will be considered and granted if possible. That happens to the outrage, frustration and annoyance of the people who have lived there all their lives. There is no consistency to that whatsoever and we need to address it. It is the kind of thing that we as elected public representatives get blamed for but that we have no responsibility for at all. We can do nothing about it so we need to do something about it. I agree entirely with the call for that debate.

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