Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise three items but prior to that I want to comment on the concerns expressed by Senator Ardagh. I hear what she is saying but local government is in place. If local government is not effective in addressing those issues, then this House and the Dáil need to take an interest because this is an issue for local government. If the local council, on which the Senator's party is well represented, is not addressing this issue of concern, then the matter needs to be examined. I do not necessarily think that we can resolve it in the House. That is just a comment. I did not know that the Senator planned to raise that issue and, to be fair and helpful, we need to empower councillors to deliver on the ground for local communities. The Senator is correct to state that and I share many of her concerns.

I will move on to the three issues I wish to raise. There was a current affairs programme shown after the news bulletin on TV3 last night. I do not know if any other Senators saw it but it addressed the issue of the Parole Board and the need for it to be independent. The board is not independent. I ask the Leader to raise this matter with the Government at some point and ask if there is an intention for the Parole Board to be truly independent. I know my colleague and Fianna Fáil justice spokesperson, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, drafted the heads of legislation in respect of this matter and Fine Gael indicated last year that it would not oppose it. The Leader might consider that.

I ask the Leader to also consider the issue of appointing a planning regulator. There is a Government commitment to bring in a fully independent planning regulator who would be totally independent of An Bord Pleanála, and who would regulate, police and govern planning in this country, particularly in respect of how it is being rolled out and in light of the urgency of the roll-out of critical infrastructure. There is a real need for a planning regulator. I have just come from a meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government at which representatives from An Bord Pleanála appeared. When this issue was raised with them, they said they will have no role in respect of a planning regulator and would actually fall under the remit of the office thereof. The Leader might examine this matter in the context of the legislation and the programme for Government and revert to us on it.

I wish to speak briefly about the regional ports policy. After the performance of the Minister, Deputy Ross, yesterday, I am more perplexed than ever. This matter relates to the regional ports at Drogheda, Waterford, Galway and Dún Laoghaire. Responsibility for the port in Wicklow has been transferred to the relevant local authority. Clearly, the Minister was not able to give any reassurances regarding these matters. I was dumbfounded by the response he read into the record of the House yesterday. Clearly, we need the Minister to return and tell us what is the Government's policy on regional ports and how that will impact on both local authority members and the future corporate governance of these ports.