Results 38,881-38,900 of 50,916 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Order of Business (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Nine months ago, the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, said the planning review would be available shortly.

Order of Business (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: It is very frustrating. It is extraordinary stuff.

Order of Business (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: He wrote it.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: The former Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, established an independent review into the planning practices in a number of local authorities and had undertaken considerable work to ensure these would be completed.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: I will come to that. Why are the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, the Minister of State, Deputy Alan Kelly, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, misleading the public by suggesting that the former Minister, Mr. Gormley, had done nothing to progress his independent reviews of planning practices in a number of local authorities? It is more than one year since he took office. Why is there...

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: He had an extensive dossier prepared by planning officials in the Department following an internal review of complaints made from 2007 to 2009. He had a series of reports from the managers in each of the local authorities submitted in response to a formal request from the Minister using his statutory powers under the planning and development Acts. He had terms of reference for a panel of...

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Given the debate going on in the House this week everyone seems to be agreed that the planning process has to be above reproach. There are significant reasons the former Minister, Mr. Gormley, proceeded with these inquiries.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Frankly, questions need to be answered about why an independent review was suppressed by the incoming Government. It is a serious issue that demands a serious response from the Government.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: Why were the independent reviews established by Mr. Gormley suppressed?

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: That is completely disingenuous.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: It is important to point out that an internal review of these complaints has already been carried out.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: The answer given this morning is a complete whitewash. As far back as 2009 the spatial planning section of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government had carried out an internal review of planning practices in these counties. I illustrate this with the comments of the former Louth county manager, Mr. Quinlivan, who carried out an investigation into matters in Carlow.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: I am asking a question. This is a serious issue.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: He stated that effective planning enforcement to ensure legislation was observed "was not in place" in Carlow.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: It rendered the whole enforcement process questionable. Mr. Quinlivan recommended that "prolonged consultation with those who breached the planning system must not take place". Complaints were received from many people, including members of the public, the Ombudsman, An Taisce and many other reputable bodies, about planning practices in these counties in recent years.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: There is much heckling but I am not prejudging anything.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: I am not prejudging anything. I have no difficulty without fear or favour of having independent planning investigations. Why?

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: I have spoken to the former Minister, Mr. Gormley. The bottom line is that there was resistance to these inquiries within the system.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: There was internal resistance to these planning investigations. I asked questions yesterday evening including whether we are all satisfied that our planning processes are above reproach. I call on the Tánaiste to meet the former Minister, Mr. Gormley, and to look at the dossier himself.

Leaders' Questions (28 Mar 2012)

Micheál Martin: He should look at the extensive material. He established an independent inquiry and a process but it was suppressed. It is completely dishonest to say that there should now be another internal review. An internal review had been completed.