James Bannon (Fine Gael)

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to the House for a debate on planning regulations. She is probably aware that we need to speed up and improve the planning process in respect of both private and public developments. The debate should also include the matter of pre-planning discussion, provided for in the recent Planning and Development Act. Facilities are not in place in many local authorities for such discussions. This is something that needs to be reviewed nationally, as well as the whole issue of the enforcement of planning regulations. There are serious problems with regard to staff shortages in most local authorities. If we adopt and pass Bills here, it is the citizens' right to see them properly enforced.