Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I concur with most of what Senators Higgins and Warfield have said. There is no point repeating it. I would like to move amendments Nos 78, 81 and 84. I will explain the rationale behind those amendments now.

Section 23 deals with procedure for reviewing the national planning framework. Amendment No. 78 seeks to delete line 14 on page 69 and insert the phrase “local authorities and their elected representatives”. So much can be lost. When you talk to county councillors, they will say it is just the chief executive telling them and there is no inclusivity. For the avoidance of doubt, we must be clear that our city and county councillors have a strategic and important function and role. The Minister of State will be close to most of his party’s councillors. I propose that we make this simple change. I do not see a difficulty. I do not know what script the Minister of State has been given. I hope it has not been suggested to him by the officials in the Department that we should somehow water this down. I am making a strong ask to include simple words “and their elected representatives”. These are significant and important words which elected representatives would expect to be there. The amendment would add elected representatives of councils to the list of groups the Minister must consult in the context of reviewing the national planning framework.

Amendment No. 81 relates to the procedure for review of the national planning framework. Its purpose is to add the words "prescribed bodies" to the list of groups the Minister must consult when reviewing the national planning framework. We are very concerned about such bodies being left out at this particular juncture. It is important that they be included. I will not read out the list of prescribed bodies. The Minister of State will be well aware of them. He engages with many of them on an ongoing basis. I am thinking of the Heritage Council and the enormous work the Minister of State has done there. Of course, he will recognise its importance. Also, there are Inland Fisheries Ireland, Irish Water, another great thing that he champions, the National Transport Authority – something everyone is talking about – and Waterways Ireland, to name but a few. It is a simple addition in the interests of clarity.

Amendment No. 84 suggests the deletion of lines 1 to 3 on page 70 and the insertion of the following:

(6) The Minister shall, within 10 days of publication under subsection (5) lay a copy of the revised or new National Planning Framework so published before each House of the Oireachtas before a required debate in both Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann.

There has to be some sort of oversight and engagement. These are the Houses of the Oireachtas - the national Parliament. We talk so often about the engagement of the Parliament and its Members. The Oireachtas is broadly representative of the people who elect us. The rationale behind amendment No. 84 is that the Bill as it stands requires a report to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas, but we need to have a debate. That is basically what I am seeking. These Houses are debating Chambers. We should not fear any engagement or debate on that. The national planning framework should be subject to scrutiny and commentary. It is not always negative. It places the importance of it all in terms of our Parliament. People have a lot of legitimate commentary to make and we should not shy away from it. This is a tripartite Government. It is committed to this Bill, the strategy involved and to being open and transparent and engaging. These are very reasonable amendments. I hope the Minister of State will be supportive of them.