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

The proposed legislation aims to limit An Taisce's influence in Ireland's planning and development process, especially in rural areas. It seeks to remove An Taisce as a prescribed authority under the Planning and Development Acts to address delays caused by its objections which have impacted housing and economic growth. The goal is to streamline the planning process, reduce bureaucratic delays and ensure taxpayer funding is not used for legal challenges that delay projects. The legislation encourages the public to support and promote rural development and address the housing crisis. Every day of the week people come to me and to my colleagues, especially in our clinics at the weekend. They are fighting people who are objecting to their planning applications in respect of their farm premises or houses they want to build. It causes serious upsets to many young people who are trying to start off in life. I believe that if An Taisce is to be allowed to survive, it should survive on its own membership. However, the State funds it. It says here that core funding is a grant from the Government. The Government is funding a body to object to people's planning, causing serious misery. Obviously, big companies are out there trying to make progress and An Taisce basically has the power to stop their planning. We have to look at this to see why the Government finds itself having to grant-aid a body such as that. If it cannot stand on its own two feet, that says it all. There are people who are serial objectors and they want to end up in a group like this. It has a very strong function in ways, but unfortunately the wrong people end up in the wrong place.

People are trying to get off the ground and get going, but it is becoming an impossible situation. It does not matter whether it is An Taisce, Uisce Éireann, the EPA or the OPW - they are all unquestionable bodies that literally have very strong control. The State continues to pour massive amounts of money into Uisce Éireann and there is no accountability. I look at a sewerage system that is leaking in Shannonvale near Clonakilty. For 29 years, it has been leaking into a local green area that was meant to be for children. It is leaking into the open river where people are drinking water. In 29 years, there has been no accountability. When I asked Uisce Éireann about the matter, it told me it might do something in the next five years. It kicked the can down the road. I asked the EPA to give me the report for the past 29 years. It cannot furnish me with a report, presumably because it does not have a report. Otherwise it surely would have furnished it. In Dunmanway, raw sewage is seeping into the river and not even one house can be built. Not one house can be built in Dunmanway because of this. People in Rosscarbery tell me that young people who are swimming there are drinking raw sewage. All I hear is that we need further scientific evidence. That is the kind of system we have, where there is no accountability. Whether it is An Taisce or Uisce Éireann, there is little difference. They get money from the State and they can do what they like. They get away with it. In Goleen, for 25 years raw sewage has been pumping into the tide. There are no answers. I asked the same question and was told that it might be done in the next five or ten years, but they do not know. In Ballydehob, raw sewage has been pumping into the water for ten years. In each and every one of those bodies, there is no accountability. The Government hands out money without even batting an eyelid. It does not seem to understand.

We need to make sure An Taisce is not funded by the State. That is the number one priority. It is hugely important. If it is continuously funded by the State, we need absolute and utter governance over how that money is being given, who is giving it out, who is approving it and whether they are members of An Taisce. If they are approving it and they are in government, there is a serious issue. In terms of all of the organisations that come before me, I am a member of farm organisations like the ICSA and the IFA, which get no money from the Government. They stand up and fight for the people. This is where we need to go with this motion. There are many other issues, such as accountability with the OPW. A lot of money is being pumped around the country, with little or no accountability.

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