Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators for their considered amendments. We need to have a consistent planning approach and we need to be able to set guidelines. Any Minister needs to be able to do this. The amendment to delete section 28(1C) of the Planning and Development Act would remove a legislative provision introduced to empower the Minister to ensure a nationally consistent approach to planning by all 31 local authorities, the three regional assemblies and An Bord Pleanála, when implementing national planning policy. That is pretty fundamental. Are the Senators suggesting we should not have a national planning policy? That is absolutely consistent. A change like this would actually remove the ability to have a consistent approach at a policy level for planning and that our planning authorities and regional assemblies would have to have regard to national policy set out by me or any future Minister. That would be very problematic.

I accept the manner in which the Senators have put this forward but it will have massive intended or maybe unintended consequences. The proposals to repeal, by deletion, ministerial guidelines would be in direct conflict with the statutory role of a Minister to amend or revoke these guidelines on the basis of expert advice and input. That could relate to safety, design, densities and so on. What would happen with the area of strategic environmental assessments if this whole function was effectively removed and this fundamental section that ensures national planning policy must be followed was removed? Any Government in the future will look at previous plans and amending them in line with the thrust of development at the time. To remove the ability to set those guidelines would be a very serious and grievous error.

Amendments Nos. 5 and 6 would facilitate inconsistency, give rise to absolute uncertainty and open up the planning system to risk that would absolutely adversely impact on delivery, viability, investment and construction activity. All of that would delay the really critical delivery of housing and infrastructure. I cannot accept the amendments.