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

Reducing the length of time with regard to a planning permission might be okay with the large developments but I would be very concerned about the one-off housing. A lot of people might apply for planning but may not have the money to get started, especially with the price of materials at the moment. I refer to one-off housing in rural Ireland. I have often met people, as we all do in our constituencies, who ask for another five years and, on that basis, thankfully, they get it across the line. They may not have the money to finish, or they might just have the foundation put down or whatever. I careful in that regard. I would accept it maybe for large developers but, certainly, I would be a little bit more cautious about reducing that to three years for one-off planning in a rural community because a lot of people are finding it very difficult. They are finding it difficult with regard to wastewater.

We have a situation in Union Hall at present. Councillor Daniel Sexton told me there was no water there last weekend, and people are in an awful state. Businesses are losing money left, right and centre. People had to hand back money in respect of their bed and breakfast accommodation businesses. These are areas where people are losing money at present. Certainly, that is a crisis that Irish Water needs to look into. It is not looking into a lot of other issues in west Cork as I have mentioned here before.

I agree with the amendment if it is with regard to larger developments, but I would be more cautious in relation to one-off housing. I am not objecting here for the sake of objecting. I would just add that word of caution that people genuinely look for planning and hope to get something off the ground but then all of a sudden, the money is not there, the banks will not backing them and it takes a period of time for them to build up their finances again to get the house built. It could pass the three-year period. I would just be a bit cautious on that.

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