Kevin Humphreys (Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is a time for politicians to show leadership. We should represent people, as Senator Boyhan mentioned, but there is also a responsibility to show leadership. We must say to people that there is not something for everybody in the audience. We must make key decisions about where to spend the billions of euro that will be available so all our citizens can benefit. Unfortunately, all our citizens will not be able to benefit immediately and it will be a matter of time. It will only happen if priorities are made and decisions are made clearly and transparently. I worry when we hear about national plans being torn up at the Cabinet table, with something put together to give something to everybody in the audience.

I know the Minister of State well and he has served the country and his county well. Please do not go back to the days of old, where we tried to ensure there was something for everybody in the audience. In the end, everybody in the audience will pay for it dearly. We have done it over a number of decades and generations. Please let us not go back to the bad old days. The Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill was worked on by numerous Ministers, including the Minister of State before us and Deputies Willie Penrose, Jan O'Sullivan, Alan Kelly and Eoghan Murphy, as well as Senator Coffey when he was Minister of State. This will have a long-term and lasting effect on the country. I do not like everything in it and it can be improved. It has passed through the Dáil and it must go through the Seanad at a reasonably quick pace to ensure it can have an influence on what is happening today.

The idea that public representatives have to pay to represent the electorate through planning decisions is wrong. An Taisce does not have to make a €20 payment for an observation about a planning application. Our councillors, elected by the people, should not have to pay €20 to make an observation. I would like to see this element of the 2000 Bill changed to allow councillors to make an observation without paying. There is an argument that Senators and Deputies should not have to pay it either. I ask the Minister of State at least to look at making that amendment.

Let us make the decisions for the future of all our citizens and all our children. Let us not go back to the times of Parlon country and the corrupt era. I do not say this easily with regard to what went on in Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. We must make the right decisions for citizens. Sometimes those will be tough and we will pay the ultimate price by losing a seat. We got into politics to make a lasting impact on this country so let us make the right decisions. We should not worry about how the electorate would feel and make the right decisions by our country. We should stand by transparent planning.