Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Local democracy is very valuable and we all want it to be devolved to the lowest possible level. Two thirds of a district council must support the development plan. The amendment relates to plans to rezone specific areas. I am concerned about the possibility that proposals that are beneficial to the majority of the population of a county may be opposed by a few local councillors due to lobbying and so forth. One could run into trouble if one casts the net too widely in legislation. The Senator's objective is a good one and it would be good to find a way around the problem he raises. The solution will be to allow measures that are good for a county as a whole to proceed, while taking account of the principle of local democratic input in development plans. Securing a majority of two thirds in a local district may be good in theory, but we must also safeguard the overall principle.