Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

On the question of An Taisce, I believe that it will regret the preposterous and potentially libellous language it used in opposing what was a straightforward and legitimate planning application. It shows a darker side to An Taisce. For many months I have made the point that it has lost its way on the question of the development of rural Ireland. The day is long gone when a certain elite group, as existed in the past, saw rural Ireland as a big picnic park to which its members would go on a Sunday and they would return to their own abodes for the rest of week and pontificate and philosophise on the quaint customs of the peasantry of Ireland.

I do not know if Members are aware that in the town planning agency in Britain there exists a specific group who monitors the planning code in this country. We we asked that group why such a role did not exist in respect of any other country in the world, we were told it was because of the historical connection with Ireland. If one studies what that means, there are many people in Ireland——