Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, and thank him for his ongoing engagement. I know he and his party, the Green Party, are particularly committed to the issue of engagement with our citizens in the planning process, which is an important point that I want to acknowledge.

The Government is seeking to streamline planning laws and this has been covered extensively in the media, although I am not sure all of that media coverage is accurate. I know the Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, are on record as expressing concern, in particular in regard to the long delays in the planning process. I have no difficulty with reforming all of that and tightening it up. However, what I do not want is a message to go out that, somehow, reform of the planning laws is going to come down the heavy on citizens. I refer, in particular, to citizens in our communities who engage in the planning process and who, in many cases, have objected rightly on planning issues, be it under the Aarhus Convention or with regard to the height, scale and mass of developments, overdevelopment or development that is contrary to the city and county development plans.

I am conscious that city and county councillors are the guardians of their city and county development plans. That is what the citizens look to in terms of councillors advocating for them and in regard to legitimate expectation on the proper planning and sustainable development of their areas, which is an important point to make.

I am also conscious that, in regard to the Green Party in particular, many of the people who are now sitting in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann and, indeed, in the city and county councils, were initially community activists, be it in regard to Tidy Towns, environmental projects, saving spaces, the public realm or advocating membership of An Taisce and various other organisations. Many of my friends and colleagues who are Independent councillors across this country came up from that system. That is no doubt the case for all parties but, particularly in the Independent Group and the Green Party group, many of those people were not politicians first.They started off as being passionate about their environment, the areas in which they lived and advocated for them. The Minister of State will be aware of the issue of the major road project in Kilkenny. Many of them were involved in planning issues. There are mixed messages out there. My concern is that comments from the Taoiseach, the Government or the Ministers or political debate generally, suggests that streamlining will curtail the judicial review process. I have no problem with streamlining it. I welcome the Government's intention to set up a planning environmental specialist court with expertise. That is really important.

Not a day goes by without opening the newspaper and reading about someone seeking some sort of legal remedy, and that should be the last resort. It should not be ruled out, but it should be the last resort. We need to deal with reform of our planning systems early. Pre-planning discussions and aspects of the Large-scale Residential Development Bill address that. I have concerns about local engagement of elected sitting county councillors. We had that debate in this House and it was rejected by all Government Senators in a roll call vote. I am a democrat. We move on. We accept that as the decision the Senators in this House made on the Government's side.

I will finish on this point. I am trying to ascertain reassurance. I know the Minister of State is committed to it. I have no doubt about that and do not question that at all. I know his party is committed to it, and that gives me great confidence. Many people who voted for the Green Party expected that the Minister of State would be a strong advocate and stand in solidarity with these community and environmental activists. They wish to see proper planning and sustainable development in their communities. Will the Minister of State set out the plan and the vision, in addition to the timeline and roadmap for this reform?