Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As the saying goes, there are few certainties in life apart from death and taxes, but perhaps we could revise that and add the dysfunctional Irish planning system. For how long have we been debating this issue in these Houses? I recall standing here more than two years ago debating the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2021, which was meant to address some of the very issues we are again here debating today. Indeed, we have seen over recent years that regardless of what laws these Houses put in place, nothing seems to impact on the chronic level of dysfunctionality that has persisted for decades. This is a cultural issue, a culture of extreme bureaucracy. We still face major challenges relating to the completion of construction projects. Time and again, I have called on the Government to provide immediate clarification on exactly when the revised rural housing guidelines for planning authorities will be published. In fact, I received replies to parliamentary questions more than two years ago in which the then Minister would confirm only that the updated guidelines would be available later in 2021. Here we are in May 2023 and there is still no sign of these guidelines. These issues were highlighted in recent weeks by Macra na Feirme, when it raised the main issues that are coming to the fore for its members. They included assessing affordable housing and cumbersome planning application guidelines, and the lack of planning for the future of our rural communities informed by rural people.

The Minister and the Government often talk about the complexity of this issue, such as the need for environmental assessments and internal and external consultation, but this is precisely the line that has been trotted out by the Department for years. What of planning guidelines by local authorities for wind turbines and setback distances? Who wants to build a home next to a mountain of wind turbines? Where is the urgency on those matters? There is also a deep lack of flexibility on these very issues.

Indeed, in February of last year the then Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, confirmed to me in a reply to a parliamentary question that the revised rural housing guidelines for planning authorities would be published "within the next six months at the latest". The Minister will be more than aware that the revised and updated guidelines have been eagerly awaited since 2017 when a working group was established within the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to examine the issue of rural housing including so-called once-off housing.

Since then, we have also had to deal with well-resourced outfits like An Taisce trying to stifle the planning and development of major enterprises in rural areas. Without rural enterprise there can be no rural housing because where are people to work? Thankfully, the Supreme Court decision in the Glanbia case was a victory of common sense against An Taisce and at the time, along with my colleagues here, I welcomed that. An Taisce has an overzealous and inflexible attitude towards environmental or emissions targets. At the time, even the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, welcomed the Supreme Court judgment and said there was a clear need for a fair and timely planning system to be in place. He went on to say that this would be achieved once the Attorney General completed his re-examination of the entire legislative framework underpinning the current planning system.

I have often highlighted the massive planning delays that plagued the multimillion euro investment at Banagher Chilling in County Offaly, my own county, before final approval was eventually given. However, the unfortunate fact of the matter was that An Bord Pleanála simply did not fulfil its statutory obligations, particularly when it came to section 126 of the Planning and Development Act which provides that every planning appeal is to be determined within 18 weeks. I have no wish to personalise this against the staff of An Bord Pleanála. I am sure they are just as frustrated as the rest of us with the growing need to assess even the most minor projects against a library shelf of EU regulations. We need a much more simplified system because the one we have is simply not working.

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