Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is a democratic deficit because this is not policy. That is the fundamental point. The national policy objectives have the force of law, and there is nothing in this section that streamlines anything in this regard. The national planning framework process is in place and the Minister is simply putting into law something that was not contained in the original Act.

Deputy Healy-Rae hit the nail on the head. When Fine Gael and Labour designed the original national planning framework process, they had Oireachtas approval because they believed it was necessary. It was only when the current Government parties got their hands on it that the need for approval was removed. They first did so through confidence and supply arrangements and then legislation. Rural planning is one of the reasons, although not the only one. Deputy Healy-Ray outlined his concerns with respect to rural planning regarding developments in proximity to urban areas. Some agree with that view and some disagree with it, but the Deputy set it out.

The problem is that if the national planning framework were debated here and voted upon, Fianna Fáil backbenchers would have to vote for the policies against which Deputy Healy-Ray has set out his case. If they did so, they would not then be able to go to their local radio stations and newspapers and blame the planning regulator, the reason being that the decision would have been a decision of the Government. Very often when the planning regulator is criticised unfairly, he is criticised for decisions that the Government has made. Very often, he is criticised by councillors and Deputies from Government parties, particularly Ministers, because they do not like the policies. They can say they did not vote for them because a vote was denied. That is the core problem, and at no point has the Minister ever addressed or explained it. He has not done so today, so I will be pressing the amendment.

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