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Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

We know the housing crisis has developed because of a lack of supply. This has been the conclusion of the three Bacon reports. Had we followed the advice of council officials at the time, land which is currently being developed would not have been rezoned for development. At that time council officials said the Ongar lands in Blanchardstown should not be developed for housing because a...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

Tom Morrissey: ...same officials who would have served the council prior to my time – on matters which are ongoing in the Flood tribunal. At the time there was a culture of council officials saying that certain lands were not to be zoned. Some councillors took that view because it was coming from officialdom. Other councillors took a different view and at times it became a war of attrition in the council...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

In light of the findings of the tribunal, the suggestion has been voiced that land use zoning functions should be made, or at least overseen, by a national zoning committee, possibly chaired by a High Court judge and staffed by planners. The central tenet in these suggestions is that zoning is not appropriate to local authorities or councillors. On this issue, it is important to note that Mr....

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

...and housing. I agree with the point made by the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government, Deputy Noel Ahern, that we should not take away the power to rezone land from local councillors. It is one of the few powers that they have and it is important for local democracy that councillors retain this power. The main problem with rezoning decisions is the...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

Dublin west is an area of major house building. If lands had not been rezoned by councillors against the advice of officials, the people who are now living in west Dublin would probably be living in counties Meath or Kildare, commuting to Dublin city and causing further problems.

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

County councillors, however, must continue to play a major role in land rezoning, especially when circumstances are continually changing. Many young people and returned emigrants are seeking planning permission to build houses. There is a need to find an answer to the serious housing shortages. It has been reported that some local authorities will only process applications made by natives of...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

For all these reasons I am inclined to the view that land use planning is generally appropriate to decision making at local level. The key challenge, therefore, is to ensure openness, probity, fairness and efficiency in the operation of the planning system. It appears better, therefore, at this stage to press ahead with the recent reforms of the 2000 Act, while also awaiting the...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

...also guides Irish policies on good governance. We can all recall that in 1999 the people voted at a referendum to enshrine a role for local government in our Constitution. It is also the case that land use and zoning decisions are generally local government functions in other jurisdictions.

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

It has been suggested that responsibility for land rezoning could be removed from local authorities. The Minister is of the view that it is inappropriate for them to be involved. I have been a member of Galway County Council for over 17 years during which many conflicts over planning arose. It is still a big issue in the county, especially in west Galway. Many years ago the production team...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

Joanna Tuffy: I live in and represent Lucan and Quarryvale, areas currently the focus of investigation by the Flood tribunal in regard to political decisions made in respect to land rezoning. This area has a huge population and the decisions had a major effect on people's lives, sometimes for the worst. There have been implications for the availability of housing, house prices, facilities or lack of, and...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

I support the call by the Fine Gael Party, which was also made previously, regarding the establishment of a land use commission in order that all future rezonings will be certified. This would allow us to be sure that there was no shady dealing involved. As a county councillor, I would welcome such a development and not see it as undermining my work but rather guaranteeing that everybody...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

...home for some of the money which was ill-gotten. I am delighted to hear the Minister for the Environment and Local Government say he would stick to the current proposal in relation to the zoning of land and that he sees zoning as a function of local councillors. This contrasts with a previous Minister for the Environment who took a populist approach and said zoning was a debased currency....

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

That statement is erroneous because in every District Court in the land, and often in the High Court, a judge does decide from the demeanour of a witness whether he is telling the truth. Apart from that, however, do Fianna Fáil members agree with their protégé – who they were going to appoint as Chief Justice and later tried to appoint to an enormously well paid job in Europe, until...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

I was delighted to hear the Minister, Deputy Cullen, say no one person can ensure the outcome of a proposal to zone land and that he would stick to the present situation. I would have said that was the situation in the old Dublin County Council when I served there, although there was one attempted exception. Prior to the discussion on the Swords development plan in 1993 a meeting was held at...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

.... If that is the angle taken by a person who is now before the tribunal it questions the activities of many local councillors who acted in the best interest of their communities and of Dublin. If lands had not been zoned at that time for housing and industry against the advice of council management we would not have the large tracts of industrial and housing development across County...

Seanad: Second Interim Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements. (12 Nov 2002)

Michael McCarthy: ...County Council were questionable. The report raises very serious issues. On some occasions the gallery was packed with lobbyists and people employed by another august organisation. The votes on land rezoning were taken contrary to all good planning regulations and against the advice of the officials and management of the council. It then fell on the Houses of the Oireachtas to establish...