Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I think all of us have complained for many years about the planning situation the length and breadth of the country and the many difficulties in which people find themselves, whether they are in a rural area looking for planning for a one-off house or trying to build something to contribute to their community, to create employment or whatever else. They find that they have to jump through all kinds of hoops. Then, when it comes to infrastructure in our towns, we find we have huge problems there as well. In many places in my county, County Leitrim, there are sewerage systems in towns that are at capacity, yet those towns need to build more houses, and even if a site is available etc., they cannot get planning because a sewerage system that would cope with that is not available.

I have spoken to the Minister about group sewerage schemes on the outskirts of towns. The one in Carrick-on-Shannon is right beside the intake of the water for the entirety of south County Leitrim. There are 40 septic tanks and the people want to put a group sewerage scheme in place but they have been refused the grants to do so by Uisce Éireann. It is a ridiculous situation.

Much of this is about looking after the environment. This is welcome and it needs to happen. The size of the Bill is large. For years I dealt with the Department of agriculture and every time it brought in a new scheme we were told it was a simplification. However, it was actually a complication rather than a simplification. I fear this will be the same and we will have more complex and difficult hurdles to cross and difficulties to get over, rather than trying to make things more streamlined and easier for people to understand and work with.

I come from a rural parish. The soil type in County Leitrim means we have difficulty in getting planning permission for one-off rural housing. However, technology has advanced with regard to the treatment of sewage and it can overcome this but the guidelines will not allow examination of the new advances that have been made. This is something we need to look at with regard to areas in need of development that are suffering from depopulation, with schools losing teachers and clubs unable to field a full football team. We need a planning system that acknowledges the social need of people to build houses in rural communities. This is an important point.

In more urban areas, where we have great need for housing, the difficulties in this country have been highlighted for several weeks because of the situation with so many migrants coming to the country and so many people fleeing from war and the difficulty with accommodation. All of the stresses and strains come back to the issue that we do not have enough accommodation in the country. The intense competition for accommodation is causing great difficulties and problems. If we have a planning system that will complicate this more and make it more difficult for people to build more houses in more housing estates in urban areas and more one-off housing in rural areas and if it makes it more difficult for people to develop businesses and opportunities to get employment, we will intensify these stresses and strains.

We welcome the movement and changes in planning with regard to the long delays that people have, particularly with An Bord Pleanála. This certainly needs to happen. I fear, and most TDs on both sides of the House fear, that the Bill will make things more difficult rather than ease them.

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