Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will try to keep this as tight as possible. There has been a lot of discussion on the amendment. The essence of this amendment is to give the elected members a zero rating in that they would pay no charge for making an observation or submission on planning applications. Not all submissions are negative, but sometimes people associate them with objections. I have written in favour of applications and set out clearly the benefits. Councillors are at the coalface in communities and all of them want to see inward investment in their area. That is important. As part of the Mahon tribunal deliberations it was clearly said that we need an open and transparent planning process. We do not want a situation where councillors find they have to be in back rooms talking to officials. That is not appropriate or right. I do not suggest it happens now but it happened in the past. We want an open and transparent system where councillors can go on the record in their council chambers and discuss planning applications. It is an absurdity to think that elected members of councils have to pay a fee to make a submission.

I speak from personal experience. I constantly had to dip my hand in my pocket and pay. That is not on. I know councillors from other parties do it. It is not because I came under any pressure to do so, but I felt it was important to make a submission. I made one only last week in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and I paid my €20. I put at the very end of it that I was doing this because I had to have some sort of standing in the event that I would wish to appeal the decision would then have to go to the board. I do not think it is right and proper that councillors should have to pay the fee. I would like to hear the considered view of the Minister of State. I know he is very sympathetic and supportive of it.

It had been my view that the measure should be embedded in the primary legislation. I did not want it to be done by regulation because I did not want the situation changing or being watered down due to a change in personnel. At the time, I emphasised that I thought it was important to specify the inclusion of local electoral areas, LEAs, as there was a direct link. I accept that some people do not necessarily agree with that but I saw a direct link between the right to be able to make a submission on a planning application and a councillor who had a clear mandate from the community to represent it. It might be more helpful for me to hear what the Minister of State has to say because I know he has reflected on it since we were last in the Chamber. He has had discussions with his officials to which I am not privy, as is right and proper, so I would like to hear what he will come up with before we proceed.