John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Using language such as "power grab" is unhelpful. The Minister of the day is accountable to the Seanad and Dáil and it is here he or she is held to account. We had a debate on this matter at the joint committee and there were differing views on it. My opinion is that the Dáil appoints the Minister, he or she has responsibilities and we Oireachtas Members hold him or her to account in respect of those responsibilities.

We cannot ignore that there have been shortcomings in the panel system. To say otherwise and present it as something that is functioning perfectly is not an accurate reflection. There is no question that it is a well-meaning system but there have been shortcomings associated with it. As I said in reference to other amendments, the ability to increase the membership of An Bord Pleanála above 14 is there to provide predictability in terms of timelines throughout the planning process. We cannot guarantee favourable outcomes of planning decisions for one section or another but predictability as to timelines must be built into the system.

I spoke on Second Stage about unacceptable timelines for decisions at this time. Housing developments that have been appealed to An Bord Pleanála have gone through the statutory period and the extended period and people are left in the lurch, not having a clue when a decision will be made on the appeal that was lodged. That is an untenable situation. We will have to go beyond the 14 members in order, first, to address the backlog and, second, to put in place the appropriate numbers of individuals to be able to deal with all the new areas for which An Bord Pleanála is being given responsibility, particularly in the offshore sector. We must meet the climate targets for 2030 and deal with all the consent elements. To present what is being done as in some way a power grab is unfair to what the legislation is seeking to achieve.