Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

Independent Ireland will not be opposing this Bill going through the Dáil. That might be an example to the Minister as to how we are open to doing business. When we put forward a motion two or three weeks ago we put forward about 20 proposals, the Government put forward 24 or 25 amendments to make sure it did not go through the Dáil. It might have resolved the situation around housing and the situation we keep talking about, year in year out, month in month out. To be honest, the root of the problem, which unfortunately is of no value to the Minister to hear, is county development plans. That is where it all went wrong. I saw it myself. When I was on the council around 2014 to 2016 I saw senior planners taking control and the local councillor, who knew every God damn thing going on in his community, regardless of it being urban or rural, was squashed out and his mouth was shut. Here we are in a crisis thanks to those people because they were clueless. They did not understand how planning worked. They did not understand how the housing crisis was going to develop if they continued to refuse and refuse. They were de-zoning land that was zoned. They were stopping development taking place. There was a complete objection from senior planners and it has led us to the mess we are in right now. The county development plans should be re-looked at the length and breadth of this country, in every council, whether it is Cork County Council or wherever. The council that is elected should have a say because they are representing the viewpoint of the people out there. I know zoned ground in Clonakilty that was de-zoned. I know plenty of places where wreck was done. Now we are trying to undo that wreck and that mess at this time. I hope to God this Bill being put through the Dáil will help the people and will force Irish Water to now deliver, for the first time ever, and to hold it and the EPA accountable. I called for the resignation of the head of the EPA during the week. She comes out continuously slating agriculture and slating farmers regarding waters and our rivers. We know the biggest culprits are the State and the wastewater treatment plants. I see it with Shannonvale, pouring waste water into a local play park down into the river. People in Dunmanway cannot build one house. In the last week or two we have both a Minister and a Senator, both in Government, fighting among themselves. One is saying they have the solution, the other saying that solution is ridiculous. This is not good enough for the people of Dunmanway. They need to build houses. They are living in close proximity to Cork city. They are in a beautiful part of the world. They cannot build one house there. There is no chance of development there for maybe the next 20 or 30 years. We do not know, because Uisce Éireann has complete control over everything that happens but there is no deadline on anything. It is giving itself plenty of space.

I met Ryan McKeown today. I was in Dundalk. This young man came to us a couple of years ago. He said he was on the way out of this country because he could not see a future. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue and myself of Independent Ireland met him. We pleaded with that young man to stay here and he is here, but he still does not see a future here. There is not a hope for that young man to have a house of his own or the things he needs here. I am going to Cape Clear this weekend for the same situation. They have no housing there. Their teacher is leaving because there is nobody coming into the local community on that island. We have a crisis no matter which way we turn, whether it is rural or urban.

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