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

On this group of amendments, specifically amendments Nos. 175, 176 and 177, the thing about the national planning framework is that massively affects every aspect of our lives in how our entire built environment and our general surroundings are developed and planned. The national planning framework is the key framework. In terms of the planning system, it could not be more important or more significant. There are huge problems because there is not a lot of public buy-in to national planning policy or a lot of understanding of it. This leads to a good deal of conflict, which then leads to delays in the delivery of much-needed infrastructure and housing. We have seen this play out over the years and we have seen the costs involved in that when trying to deliver housing and infrastructure because there is not that understanding of national planning policy at all. If we had more buy-in to that, with more understanding and more involvement, there would be less conflict and we would get better delivery of the housing and infrastructure we need. There is no question about that. If we had scrutiny and votes in the Dáil on the national planning framework, it would help in this regard. It would not solve that in its entirety but it would certainly help. At the moment, most people in Ireland do not know what is in national planning policy, they do not know why the national planning policy encourages certain things and they do not have an understanding around it. When they are confronted with this in their local community, it creates a reaction which then often creates delays and additional costs.

There is international evidence around co-creation and how it works really well, especially for large housing projects and large infrastructure projects. Co-creation involves local communities at an early stage in helping to design and plan large projects that are going to impact on them. It works much better for getting buy-in and reducing conflict and therefore costs. Also, everybody is then living with something over which they feel some ownership.

The second aspect is that by not having democratic oversight and not having a vote on it in the Houses of the Oireachtas we are, and I do not believe this is the intention, actually running down to a degree our democratic processes and institutions. This leads to cynicism about why we have our democratic institutions and processes. This is very dangerous because the more cynical people get about our democratic institutions and processes, the more it undermines general faith in democracy. This can have a corrosive effect on our democratic institutions and processes. I do not believe for a second this is the intention here but it is part of a result of not having proper democratic oversight of this. What are the Houses of the Oireachtas for if not to have votes on absolutely key statutory frameworks like the national planning framework?

See this speech in context