Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

Following what Senator Bannon said, it was my intention today to ask the Leader for an urgent debate on planning. Throughout the last session there were several calls for a debate on planning and I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to the House for a good, clear, detailed debate on the issue. There is now a gross level of inconsistency and downright subjectiveness in each planning authority. We must address it now. It is time that the gloves came off and we dealt with the consistently obstructive influence An Taisce is having on this nation regarding commercial property and domestic dwellings, particularly in rural and regional Ireland.