Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Government is seeking to ram through amendments to the planning Bill this week that will severely curtail and restrict the ability of people to hold An Bord Pleanála to account. That is what the Government is doing this week. If these changes go through, they will severely restrict and curtail the ability of people to hold An Bord Pleanála to account. These changes amount effectively to a get out of jail free card for An Bord Pleanála if it is found to have broken processes or indeed broken the law in making planning decisions. It is incredible that the Government is seeking to do that right now when An Bord Pleanála is under investigation regarding multiple allegations. Reports on those investigations have not yet been published. Will the Government not withdraw these amendments that seek to curtail people’s ability to hold An Bord Pleanála to account and await the publication of those reports and indeed the publication of the review into planning?

See this speech in context