Déirdre de Búrca (Green Party)

Will the Leader invite the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to the House to address the issue of planning enforcement? I raise this because there is a report in the national newspapers today on a case in County Wicklow involving an unauthorised development beside the N11. It has been unauthorised for many years and is to be the subject of a material contravention procedure on the part of Wicklow County Council next week. This is extraordinary because the same site was the subject of High Court proceedings on the part of the local authority which at the time deemed it to be unauthorised. The High Court ruled in favour of the local authority and the owner of the business in question was ordered by the court to close it by the end of April. Having taken legal action successfully and invested time, money and resources in doing so, the county council has now changed its mind and decided that the site which is in breach of the NRA's rules on direct access to the N11 merits planning permission. It is recommending to its elected members that they support the application. I would appreciate it if the Leader invited the Minister to the House to debate this matter. It is very important that the public see local authorities enforcing planning legislation, as they are supposed to, and not being selective in the sense of pursuing small people over seemingly unauthorised developments while allowing larger operators who seem to be flouting the law but are well connected to receive permission for retention, despite the strong arguments against it.

I share the concerns of Senator Butler and others who referred to the apparent collapse of the public private partnership arrangements for social and affordable housing on St. Michael's estate in Inchicore, Sean McDermott Street and a number of other areas. It is of concern because the position is so unclear. The impression was created initially that the developer in question had pulled out of the public private partnership arrangements but it now appears he has not and that there are changes afoot. Whatever happens, the residents in the affected areas who legitimately expected the projects to be delivered will have to be reassured in this regard. I ask that the Minister be invited to the House to address the issue.

The House should address the issue of public private partnerships. My colleague, Senator Boyle, produced an excellent report, on behalf of the Committee of Public Accounts, that considered many of the disadvantages of such partnerships in certain instances, in addition to the advantages. We need a full discussion on the issue in the House.