Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, along with other Opposition speakers I called for a debate this week on the operation of An Bord Pleanála. I am asking the Minister to commit to having that debate at least before the summer recess. We are all conscious that the drip-feed of allegations about impropriety or conflicts of interest have the potential to undermine seriously public confidence in our planning and construction system. This is at a time when the President has rightly described us as having a housing disaster and has referred to our housing policy as a series of failures, which is a matter of real concern.

We are all conscious that the Minister ordered an inquiry by Remy Farrell SC and that the six-week period within which the report is to be provided to him concludes at the end of this week. We are all concerned that we will not have time before the summer recess to see that report and to have a debate on it in this House. In the context where an internal interview is also under way into the same allegations of An Bord Pleanála, it is incumbent that we have a commitment from the Government to having a debate on this.

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