Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I commend the Cathaoirleach and all of the staff and others who were involved in today's launch of Seanad 100. It is an exciting year ahead and it is interesting to be looking back at the past 100 years. There have been some very strong contributions and inspiration from speeches from former Senator Mary Robinson and the current longest serving Senator, Senator David Norris.

I rise to ask for an amendment to the Order of Business. It has come to my attention that there are some significant concerns about the regulations. I believe there is a proposal that there would be a motion to approve the draft Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2022, without debate today. Unfortunately, it has just come to my attention that there are some significant concerns regarding those regulations which may merit attention, debate and discussion.

Specifically of concern are those regulations for a potential requirement of a two-year vacancy in the context of exempted developments. Given the law of unforeseen consequences, we could actually see an incentive around vacancy if the promotion of vacancy was to allow, for example, exemption from planning. We do not want to create that kind of perverse incentive.

There are still concerns about some of the environmental factors around bats' routes and nesting birds. Very importantly, and it may even be an inadvertent admission, it does seem that in the areas that are excluded from the exemption there is a concern that the subsection of Article 9.1 in our planning and development regulations, which is the piece specifically around protecting architectural conservation areas, they are not included in the areas excluded from the exemption. There is a concern there. I am sorry not to have raised this earlier with the Leader, but it has come to my attention since. I am hoping that perhaps we might be able to table this item for another day. We will be looking at planning issues on other days. Perhaps we could at least have some debate or discussion of it, and perhaps some clarity from the Minister before we approve these regulations.