Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join with Senator Noone in calling for the legislation to regulate cash for gold outlets to be enacted as soon as possible. Self regulation is not working and I agree there is evidence they are causing a lot of burglaries, in particular in rural areas.

Yesterday the Government approved the preparation of a new planning and development Bill which will establish a new planning regulator. The appointment of such a regulator was one of the most significant recommendations regarding planning made by the Mahon tribunal. I welcome that the legislation will come into existence.

Yesterday, in formulating the proposal, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan, said she engaged with a wide variety of stakeholders and believed that the new planning regulator will improve the quality of planning in Ireland, increase transparency and accountability and, most important, increase public trust in our planning system. I very much hope the Bill does what she said.

Will the Leader invite the Minister of State to the House so we can ask her with whom she consulted on the preparation of the Bill? If reports we see in newspapers today and in national media yesterday are anything to go by, we need to ask how independent the regulator will be if the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has the final say on any recommendation such a regulator may make.