Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We hope that is the case. If not, we will certainly vote against it. We cannot support a situation where a local authority spends months or perhaps even years putting together a county development plan that would not come into effect if it did not tick the box of a Deputy here or that we would bring forward legislation to make sure it could be overridden by appeals to An Bord Pleanála, which is questionable in its own right.

This is a serious attack our democracy and on our local authorities and councillors who work very hard, instead of perhaps sitting down around the table and working with them. It should not be, but it seems to be Green Party policy to dictate to everyone, regardless of where democracy stands this country. We have difficulties. Just because someone is a cyclist or drives an electric vehicle does not mean that they do not have difficulties where there are bad bins or shrubs that need to be cut back. That accounts for everybody and every road user. Every road user should have that right. This amendment states: "...only where the scheme or proposed road development will not contribute to carbon emissions from the transport sector and only where the scheme or proposed road development will not otherwise increase private vehicle travel, induced demand through the provision of road capacity for private vehicle use or induced demand through the provision of private car storage."

I am totally opposed to this amendment. I sincerely hope the Minister kicks this out, like the other amendments that have been put before us. I am pleased we are in here as a Rural Independent Group to try to mind the little bit of democracy we have in this country. Quite a lot of it has been eroded over the past number of years. Amendments such as this certainly erode it further. I will not be playing a part in any way, shape or form in that kind of a trick. It has been said in here that the Green Party will not be in government next time. We will certainly have a pile of cleaning up to do, if we are in here, cleaning up the mess it has made and the hurt it has caused-----

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