Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise two issues. I agree with Senator Catherine Ardagh in respect of her concerns about the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF. It is timely we had a comprehensive statement on it. I declare I am a former director of the NTPF so I know a good deal about it. It has had a great record in the past. I understand from a brief discussion here in response to another issue last week that the Minister touched on the NTPF and its objectives and targets. There is mention of it in the programme for Government. It would be helpful if we had an overview of what is planned now because this organisation is up and running, albeit submerged back into the Department and called the delivery unit or the special delivery unit. It has a very good track record of delivering and ultimately treating the patients who are longest on the waiting list and bringing them forward. That is what it was set up to do and I think it has the potential to do it. It would be helpful if we had an update on it.

The other point I wish to raise is the suggestion by the Government and, in particular, by the Minister with responsibility for housing, planning and local government, Deputy Simon Coveney, that more than 150 units of housing be fast-tracked through An Bord Pleanála. There was a suggestion - one I read in the media - that Fianna Fáil was in agreement and would like the number reduced from 150 units to 50 units. I have not spoken directly to Fianna Fáil to date on the issue but that is what is attributed to it. I believe in the power of local democracy and local government and the role of planning authorities to determine the outcomes of planning applications as provided in the Planning and Development Act. That is where it should remain. The supply of planning for the planning process is not delaying the roll-out and construction of houses. What is delaying it is the development levies. The sections 48 and 49 levies, under the planning and development scheme, are inhibiting development and people are waiting to see if there will be a change in how that is supplied. I would like to have the Minister come to the House to elaborate and share with members what he is planning in respect of the roll-out and empowering An Bord Pleanála which currently is not meeting its 18 weeks deadline on a whole range of major critical infrastructural issues. I appeal to the Leader to invite the Minister to come to the House and explain his thinking on that issue.