Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply and wish him the best of luck in the election. The issue here is not only one for private developers who have zoned lands and planning permissions, but also for those who hold single permissions for one-off developments in the countryside. It is also an issue for the Government, because NAMA has a large number of properties which are subject to live planning permissions, as do the banks. Hopefully, they will have been diligent and extended the full five-year period. If a permission in respect of lands held by NAMA was granted in 2005 and extended in 2010, there is now the prospect that a huge amount of value will be lost, incurring for the taxpayer massive fees to reinstate planning permissions.

In Kerry County Council, it costs €89 to extend a planning permission. That could apply to NAMA. In the event that the Minister does not consider it prudent to allow for an extension, the burden of the loss will be borne by the taxpayer. If someone applied for planning permission in 2004, it would have lapsed in 2009 but for the extension period of five years. It may not have got the entire period, but in any event that five years will start to run out. Whether it is for a developer who has retained his portfolio and is hoping to build - we have a housing crisis - or a one-off development in rural Ireland, an entire planning process will have to be undergone. If the planning permission were allowed to remain live, the holder could start to build much more quickly. NAMA and the banks will sustain the largest losses, and huge fees will be incurred on behalf of the taxpayer simply to reinstate planning on land that is currently covered.