Pat Moylan (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Keeffe, to the House and I welcome the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill. Such a Bill on planning is welcome at any time. There will be some controversy surrounding the different sections but we must welcome the Bill because it represents forward planning. Environmental impact statements are highlighted in the Bill and if we want to move in the right direction, that area is very important.

Problems over planning have arisen in the past in local authorities, and a number of speakers mentioned landfill sites. Other speakers talked about incinerators. Whether we like it or not, this country will have to have a certain number of incinerators if we want to address the problem of the illegal dumping that is taking place. Something must be done in that regard. There are many old landfill sites littered throughout the country and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government or the environment section of local authorities should engage in better monitoring of those sites.

We must emphasise the importance of forward planning, particularly when we consider the difficulties the Government has faced regarding the provision of road infrastructure, which is so important. Objectors climbed trees or dug themselves in as a form of protest. They are entitled to take certain action and express their point of view but if these projects are properly planned, all those problems can be eliminated.

People have objected to the fine motorways that have been constructed and some refuse to use them but if they considered the cost of having to drive around the old roads, particularly having regard to the cost of diesel, they would realise they are making a major mistake.

Under the Bill there will be better involvement of An Bord Pleanála, which is important. We welcome also the small number of staff being provided but the Minister should consider leaving open the option to provide additional staff. As An Bord Pleanála takes on more important planning work it will need more expertise and staff. That option might be available to the Minister.

There is mention of railways and electricity transmission lines in the Bill. It is important that planning permission will have to be sought for those projects because in the past the ESB had a system where it laid lines through or close to built up areas or through scenic areas when, with little extra cost, it could have avoided some of those important locations.

There is no doubt that planning is never perfect. Regardless of what development takes place, people will be affected by planning decisions. There have been major road and gas developments throughout our counties that have been hugely beneficial to housing and industry but at the same time such developments affect certain people. As mentioned earlier, however, many of those problems can be avoided.

I wish to respond to a point made yesterday by Senator Norris about a development in my county of Offaly, Standish Sawmills. As a former member of a local authority, I want to record that this company sought and was granted planning permission. That decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála, which granted planning permission. The company also has an EPA licence. What more can that company do in a rural area of County Offaly? It employs approximately 100 people and it has complied with what is required of it under law.

A group of people who do not want any development in the area objected but three years ago that same group wrote to me, as concerned residents. I wrote back to them asking for the names, addresses and contact numbers of the concerned residents but that was the last I heard from them. We must be fair to people who want to provide industry and also to those who are entitled to object but I wish to record my view on that development.

Section 33 provides that land lying ten metres or more below the surface of that land shall be taken to be of nil value. We must be careful about putting something like that in a Bill because developments can take place on one's land where there might be an esker or quarries in excess of ten metres below the surface. That land can be very valuable. I hope we will not decide on Committee Stage that after a certain depth, a farmer's land is of no value. It can be of immense value to a farmer and I would like to ensure we examine that section more carefully.

On the question of making application for major developments directly to the board, I would like that aspect to be teased out on Committee Stage. I realise such applications will be notified to the local planning authority, which is appropriate, but will public notices be erected on the site for local residents to view? In many cases, the only way local people know about proposed developments is because they read the notices on the roadside or street. They may not buy the daily papers in which many planning notices are published.

Regarding objections by An Taisce, it is difficult to know who is making them or from where they are coming. It is my experience that objections can be made in the name of An Taisce at the eleventh hour. Lists of the names of the members of any organisation, whether it be the GAA, a county council, a rugby club, An Taisce or whatever, should be made available to the public. I am disappointed with the performance of An Taisce, although I appreciate it has a job to do.

A number of speakers referred to planning and the rezoning of land. Politicians come in for some flack because of rezoning but I was involved in changing the development plan on a number of occasions in a county and the owner of the land or the person who benefited from the rezoning never concerned me. I always believed that by looking at the bigger picture when developing towns, one ensured that housing was available therein and therefore people did not have to move to rural areas where there were serious objections.

County managers and directors of services are very important in the planning process. There is a perception that many planners are from the one school and that they have a tunnel view of development. It often occurs to me and others that planners make the final decision and sometimes make very significant comments on the architectural value of buildings being constructed. There is a case for local authorities to have expertise in respect of developments.