Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I know this is the Seanad. I had the honour of serving here for five years. I have great regard for this Chamber. I have commenced legislation in this Chamber and come here as often as I can. Senators Moynihan, McDowell and others raised the CPO issue. The Law Reform Commission's long-awaited report is published. We had already been at an advanced stage of preparing the Bill. I took a decision at that stage to proceed with the legislation as it is, while we are still looking at the Law Reform Commission's CPO reviews. I believe much of that will be incorporated into the Act by way of amendments in the future. I have absolute regard for that but I did not want to delay for another year because this legislation is fundamentally so important because we need clarity, certainty and consistency in our planning system.

I do not expect every Member of the House, either Government or Opposition, to agree with absolutely everything in the Bill, but if you talk to someone outside this gate, walking down Grafton Street or Moore Street, and you mention planning, the first word that will come into many people's minds is "delays". Delays cost and not just in monetary terms. It means we do not deliver houses for people who want them. Some Members here say they want that. Sinn Féin has objected to 6,000 homes in Dublin alone in the last three years. Other homes are delayed through the courts. This is what we are talking about. If we are serious about delivering the homes that we need for our people, and I certainly am, we need planning legislation that will underpin not just the housing delivery need, but also the strategic infrastructure, homes, schools, offshore renewables, and all those various things.

Trust me when I say that in no way, shape or form was this legislation rushed. It was considered and worked on in great by the members of the joint committee, from both Government and Opposition, two Attorneys General, very senior counsels across the country, and most importantly by legislators here. It is in no way, shape or form rushed.

I reject outright the characterisation of the situation here in Ireland. I listened to Senator Ruane earlier, who I have regard for and who is a good parliamentarian, but if I listened to her, I would think she was referring to Soviet Russia in the 1970s. She is perfectly entitled to have her view on things but in no way, shape or form is it the case for any of the progress made by successive Governments, this country and its citizens to move us forward into a modern society, which still has many challenges. I listened to some of those contributions earlier. They push this failed state narrative that suits politically. It is wrong. It is insulting to our citizens because this is not a failed state. We have many challenges. In the few minutes I have, I could go through all of the different achievements of this country since our independence and over the last four years, with what we have done in housing and planning, but I will not do that, because we discuss that time and again.

To those who say they want more homes and an efficient planning system, in the literally hundreds of hours of debate, I have seen no alternative brought forward by any Opposition parties where they say they do not like this planning Bill and what they are proposing to do. Instead, I saw amendment after amendment, with much duplication and triplication, sent in by various groups, which they are entitled to do, should they wish. They are basically amendments written by outsiders that are then sponsored by political parties and put in the names of their housing spokespeople and members. They are amendments that were written elsewhere, not by legislators here. They were written by groups, some of which frustrated developments in this country for a long time. I have said before and will say again that access to justice is crucial. Compliance with the Aarhus Convention is crucial and is central to what this Bill will do when enacted. The last place where the planning decision should have to be made is in our courts.