John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I did not interrupt anyone on that side of the House so I would appreciate being allowed to speak without interruption.

I appreciate where the Minister is coming from with this measure. It is important we do not present it in a way that is a wholesale stripping of the powers of local councillors. The factual position is that in certain local authorities housing is not being built on lands zoned for housing as a result of decisions by certain councillors from a certain party. As a Government and as legislators, we must ensure that, in the midst of a housing crisis, we use all tools at our disposal. The Land Development Agency will have a role to play in that.

One of the main concerns that councillors, particularly in the Dublin area, raised with me was that lands zoned for recreational purposes or open spaces could in some way have been disposed of to the LDA by a chief executive going over councillors' heads. That cannot now happen. This measure only applies to residential land. That is a welcome move.

My local authority in County Waterford has significant land which is used as a public, municipal golf course, Williamstown golf course. The chief executive of Waterford City and County Council cannot decide in the morning to transfer that land to the LDA because the councillors have zoned the land for recreational rather than residential purposes. That land is not zoned for residential purposes. Councillors have full control of what land is zoned in the context of the development plan. It is probably appropriate and timely that those development plans are actually happening at this time. I therefore encourage any council and councillors to ensure the zoning is appropriate for the purposes they wish to see over the coming months, in the context of their development plan. The Minister has facilitated the extension of the development plan process if councillors wish to extend it. That was a welcome move which everyone in the House supported.