Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yes, it is tomorrow but the motion is being taken today. I formally object to the inclusion in the Order of Business of the motion in respect of the sitting arrangements for Thursday. I will object to the motion on the sitting arrangements in due course. This is in the context of the Planning and Development and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill 2022, which is being pushed and rushed through. It comes after the very bad practice we saw last July going into the summer recess. I am very worried that has now become an effective modus operandiin respect of planning legislation. We saw an appalling rush of legislation without proper scrutiny in the summer and now we are seeing it again.

It is very disappointing that the Seanad has not been communicated with properly on this. Even the letter to leaders of the Seanad suggested that the committee had discussed this and was happy with pre-legislative scrutiny not being concluded. Committee members subsequently came forward and said they were extremely disappointed at the attempt to start scheduling this before pre-legislative scrutiny had been concluded. Now, we also have the situation whereby the Minister has been quite clear on his intention to bring massive and substantial amendments to this Bill, which is already being pushed through without proper scrutiny. This was only published last week. Committee and Remaining Stages are being proposed for tomorrow. The Minister indicated that he would table very substantial amendments, which will directly affect local development plans and local authority members. I would suggest that those amendments being brought to the Dáil without proper scrutiny will erode the confidence of the public in local authorities through the making of local development plans and in their own participation in the democratic process.

Given that so many Members of this House have very direct connections with local authority members right across this country and have an insight into their experiences, it is appalling that they are effectively trying to short-circuit this House's scrutiny, not just of the Bill by putting it to Committee and Remaining Stages but of these amendments that are directly related to local authorities, which the Minister is bringing to the Dáil and which will then only come back for a Report Stage debate. We will not have a proper Committee Stage or Report Stage debate in this House.

I am signalling to the Deputy Leader that I must oppose what I believe is damaging to the planning process and to the democratic process in terms of public confidence in both. Whether the Deputy Leader can accept my amendment to the Order of Business, I urge that we ensure that when it does come back to the Seanad from the Dáil at Report Stage, adequate time is allocated to ensure we can scrutinise these last-minute amendments.