Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 36:

In page 47, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following:“Amendment of section 28 (Ministerial guidelines) of Principal Act

10. Section 28 of the Principal Act (as amended by section 2 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act of 2015) is amended by deleting subsection (1C).”.

This amendment proposes the deletion of the power for the Minister to issue binding directions without consultation. This power was inserted in the Act in 2015 at the request of the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, and was used to establish maximum housing standards upon which local authorities cannot improve. This is an unacceptable situation. The amendment would not affect the long-standing powers in the same section 28 to make guidelines and issue directions following consultations, and would allow greater flexibility and ambition in the planning process.