Senator Paul Coghlan Speaking on the Order of Business

I very much welcome the intended appointment of an independent planning consultant by the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the 12 recommendations made in the review of the planning system in a number of local authorities. Clearly, there was a lack of guidance on how rules should be enforced and how the system should be administered.

The report raised serious issues, including instances of maladministration and inconsistency of application of planning law. I look forward to the independent consultant assessing all the actions and, hopefully, proposing additional measures that he or she deems appropriate. There are broader themes and perhaps there will be further recommendations. I do not say because the report did not find corruption that I do not believe there is any corruption now but there may have been in the past but provincial town centres have been decimated by out of the town developments that should not have been allowed by managers.

Will the Leader in early course fit it in a debate on planning in the light of the Minister of State’s announcement yesterday and the review’s recommendations? I acknowledge we had a debate on the Mahon tribunal report but we should have a debate that concentrates on the recommendations of the report in conjunction with this debate. I ask the Leader to give consideration to that.