Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I am pleased the legislation has been introduced and that the Minister will re-examine the shared ownership scheme. When the scheme is re-examined, we may find a way to get young people on to the first rung of the property ladder. A great deal of bureaucracy is involved in the administration of the scheme. However, builders may opt for shared ownership in a large development scheme comprising one, two and three bedroom units so that people can get on the first rung of the ladder. I hope the Minister will give a little more thought to the scheme. The deletion of the two year limit on availing of planning permission approved following the publication of the legislation will prevent the stockpile of planning applications which meant that builders were sitting on land with no notion of exercising their planning permission.

I refer to the workings of An Bord Pleanála. Planning legislation has been amended over the years but we have not done likewise with the board's terms of reference regarding how it works, how long it takes to adjudicate on appeals and its composition. I refer again to the 300 house development involving my local authority, which insisted on the provision of 20% social and affordable housing. The builder appealed to An Bord Pleanála six months ago but we still have not received a reply.

What is the role of the board's inspectors who are sent out to examine proposed developments for which planning permission has been sought? Sometimes they approve the applications yet the board turns them down. Will the Minister comment on the transparency of the workings of the board and how it arrives at such a decision, having received a positive report from local authority professionals and its own inspectors? That is difficult to understand.

Of course we need An Bord Pleanála, but when should it kick in? Should it kick in during the process of considering the planning application or immediately afterwards? How long should it take to make decisions? Should it be allowed to delay the decision on a particular planning application to the extent that one can have a delay of up to a year before one can commence a housing scheme?

I welcome this Bill. It is time that we had a look at Part V. What we really want is to increase the housing supply for all types in society so that everyone will have the chance of a good quality of life. There should not be one particular group of people who can afford houses and another which cannot, thus dividing society. That is what was happening. We now have an opportunity to ask the Minister to amend Part V so there will be affordable houses and social houses and everybody will have a chance of getting on the housing ladder. The only way to achieve these things is to make that amendment. The deletion of the two year limit on availing of planning permission will give more flexibility. Local authorities want the legislation to be amended. This is where the pressure came from. They have been saying it was unworkable on the ground.

I am delighted to discuss this Bill this evening, but I ask the Minister to review the workings of An Bord Pleanála to bring it in line with the local authorities, voluntary agencies, other house-building schemes and the developers so we are all working together. The whole exercise involves increasing the number of houses and endorsing the policy of having 20% affordable social housing.