Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to be clear so there is no ambiguity about my appeal to the Minister of State. I am aware that the Minister of State is supportive, and I know that the officials are supportive. The Minister of State has indicated that he may do this through regulation. We are not that far apart. I have lobbied strongly, as have the Independent Senators and Senators from Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party. We have not been idle in the past few days. I am confident we will succeed in a vote here today. I do not want to divide the House but I will if it is necessary. This is the Minister of State's call, not mine. I am absolutely confident that we will succeed if we call a vote now on amendment No. 43. I believe it is important. I would not like to see a group of Fine Gael councillors or Senators left out because I believe that they too are committed. The Minister of State will know this from his own contacts in local government.

I want to see this measure in primary legislation. I have been advised that there is nothing to prevent the Minister of State from agreeing to allow this to be in primary legislation. It is important. I am happy to support the two amendments but I believe that amendment No. 43, which is in my name and Senator Grace O'Sullivan's name, is very reasonable. It is not what we had initially thought - we were going to go a bit further - but we thought this amendment was reasonable having discussed it with the Minister of State, his officials, county managers and councillors. It is also in light of the letter sent by the Minister of State's officials to the councils about councillors not discussing planning applications. I have no difficulty with that but in some councils they never discussed planning applications. They were passing comment on planning applications but it was done in an open and transparent way.It was done on the record of the local authority chambers, the proceedings of many of which are webcast. In the interest of openness and transparency, local authority members should have the right to make a written, not verbal, submission to the planning authority. It is the proper thing to do.

I hope the Minister of State will not force us to call a vote, that common sense will prevail and that we will all go out of here as winners, all fulfilling our case, all aiding, assisting and supporting local democracy and supporting those who are elected to represent local communities.