Kathleen O'Meara (Labour)

It is great to see the Minister present for this important debate on a matter of concern to all Members. Dealing with planning has become very complex for the ordinary man or woman on the street. We are living in a time of unprecedented growth and development, which is no bad thing. However, when a person living on a road or estate suddenly notices in a newspaper a planning application for the field behind, or across the road, interfacing with the planning process becomes very complex. It is no longer a case of simply making an objection and proceeding.

I will give an example of a situation in which I am involved because it is near where I live. An initial application was made by developers. I queried it with the developers and discovered they had been alerted early on by the authorities that they would be asked for further information. However, the further information they are being asked for is in effect an entirely different application. That is fine for me to manage, given my knowledge of the process and my experience, but for the average person, trying to cope with the different levels of a major planning application is very difficult and quite intimidating. We need to find better ways to guide people through the process.

I understand that a local authority needs to communicate a decision in a particular way. It must be legally framed and is a particular kind of document, but many people who read it do not understand it, or elements of it. We need to work harder to ensure that the average person on the street who has any interface with the planning process understands everything that goes on, and that his or her concerns are heard.

The process has become much more complex. There is also too much going on between the planner and developer which the public will never know about. Pre-planning meetings, discussions and so on should be recorded and transparent. There is no reason that should not happen, nor should developers be concerned about it happening.

With regard to implementation and follow-up, when conditions are attached to a planning decision it is important that the resources are made available to local authorities — current resources are not sufficient — to ensure those conditions are upheld. From the public's point of view, it is critical that conditions are attached to planning decisions. It often happens that a year or a year and a half later, a public representative gets a complaint from someone that something which was supposed to happen is not happening. It is important that the local authority has the resources to implement decisions. One is usually talking of the average citizen who does not have access to major resources or professional advice, but who knows what the decision was and does not know how to ensure it is implemented. I appeal to the Minister to ensure that local authorities have sufficient resources to see that planning conditions are adhered to.

Linked to that are resources with regard to taking in charge, to which Senator Brady referred. Taking an estate in charge is a major issue for communities. We are talking of quality of life, of communities in which people live. Such issues concern people daily, and cause people most anxiety and aggravation. We have a duty to support them as much as possible.

Rural planning is not urban planning. I am concerned that many of our planners are trained in urban planning but are not familiar with issues of rural Ireland such as the expansion of villages. Some current village developments are simply not appropriate. We have also had a great deal of discussion on one-off rural housing. I ask the Minister to consider that those who take up jobs in planning offices around the country do not necessarily have training in, consideration for, or sympathy with issues pertaining to rural planning — with agriculture, families, the structure of communities or how our communities manifest themselves. It is one of the biggest concerns of public representatives from rural areas that there is no sympathy in planning offices for issues relevant and specific to rural Ireland.