Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise the issue of strategic housing development, SHD, which has been much talked about in the media in the past 24 hours. It involves the fast-track planning of developments involving more than 100 units. We see major implications arising from this. There are implications for the Aarhus Convention in terms of public consultation, access to environmental information, which is set down and directed by the EU, and the principle of subsidiarity. In no democracy in Europe does an independent planning appeals board such as An Bord Pleanála act as judge and jury in its own cause. In effect, what this legislation has done is allow developers who advocate the development of more than 100 units to go direct to An Bord Pleanála thereby bypassing their local authorities, who are the statutory planning authorities. As a result, the citizens in those communities and the city and county councils in those areas do not have any official statutory input into the commentary around these applications, although they may have input on the side. I am not against the development of houses. We need to build more houses and we need higher densities but we must also have regard to existing residential amenity and communities. As politicians, we all know that we have made legitimate representations on behalf of our communities, which is our given right. The removal of a third-party appeal process has serious implications for public participation in decision-making and that is something over which we cannot stand. We should encourage rather than stymie the engagement of communities and local politicians in planning processes.

What is at stake? The SHD scheme is under review by the Minister. He held a public consultation that went on for some months and a report is now sitting on his desk. Ultimately, he must make a decision. I understand - I have yet to receive clarification in this regard - that he may need to come back to the Houses of the Oireachtas in respect of this matter. I do not have exact details on that but I have made some inquiries. I ask that the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government be asked to come to the House before he agrees the period for another two years, which is his prerogative that I understand he is considering. He may consider it with some adjustment, which should be encouraged, but the reality is that I do not think it is right that we as elected politicians who support local politicians who are also elected support any system that blocks or curtails their right to engage and advocate on behalf of citizens with regard to the proper planning and sustainable development of their communities. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister to come to the House to share his rationale for an extension if that is what he is going to do and to listen to our concerns and feedback regarding this scheme before he makes his decision.