Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

I would like to conclude by speaking about planning. We pride ourselves on our ability to hire planners and directors of planning services. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is too often seen to interfere in the autonomy of local councils. We have to ask who watches the watchers. We work closely with planners and directors of planning, who take great pride in their expertise, by participating in pre-planning meetings, etc. The Department is employing people to overrule planners and thereby ignore local knowledge. I accept that we do not always get it right. I ask the Minister to look at this issue. It is not transparent when people in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government overrule the knowledge and the professional decisions of planners and the planning departments of various councils.