Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am. It may already have been taken care of but if it has not I am proposing that.

The Government is planning new laws to stop local groups and environmental organisations challenging controversial developments in court. I have real concerns about this because the new law will effectively deny ordinary citizens, community groups and non-governmental organisations, NGOs, the chance to ever take a court challenge. If passed, the changes would make it impossible for newly-formed campaign groups to seek judicial review of planning decisions affecting their locality and it speaks to the lack of consultation. Developments absolutely must happen but they must be done in consultation with community groups. To state this cannot be done unless a group has been in existence for three years and 100 members have signed it is the wrong way to go. This comes on top of the changes to legislation that allow major capital projects and large housing developments to go directly to An Bord Pleanála for approval. There is no means of appealing them except by judicial review. That is taking autonomy away from local authorities. I would like a debate on this here because I do not like the direction it is going in terms of local people not having a genuine say in the development, shaping and structure of their communities.