Darragh O’Brien, the Housing Minister, has criticised Sinn Féin, asserting that they are trying to obstruct the government’s endeavour to reform Ireland’s planning system. There are speculations within Fianna Fáil that the suggested changes may face an additional six-week delay in the legislative process.
The Planning and Development Bill 2023, which is one of the most extensive laws in the nation’s history, spanning over 700 pages, has been in committee stage in the Dáil for several meetings spreading over three weeks.
Mr O’Brien’s comments come in the aftermath of a joint statement lodged by Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, and People Before Profit. The coalition expressed grave apprehensions about the demanding schedule set for the Oireachtas Committee on Housing to handle the planning Bill.
This has occurred as government committee members were trying to arrange meetings following St Patrick’s Day. The statement critiqued the onerous timetable, asserting that it hindered thorough exploration of the Bill – an essential law that has the potential to shape the lives of millions for generations to come.
At a Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday, it was detailed that around 1,500 modifications to the law had been proposed. Mr O’Brien explained that nearly a third of these were trivial, another third were repeated, and between 600 to 700 of them were considered serious.
He singled out Sinn Féin as deliberately obstructing the Bill. He alleged that they were tactically triggering votes to postpone the proceedings and were seemingly endeavouring to coerce the government into truncating the debate by invoking the guillotine procedure. It was communicated that Mr O’Brien was opposed to this happening.
The proposed bill, aimed to enhance the planning system, is a vital part of Mr O’Brien’s strategy to address the housing crisis. It was reportedly conveyed in the meeting that any further delays to the planning bill due to obstacles at An Bord Pleanála stand to deteriorate the situation for families waiting for housing.
Paul McAuliffe, a Dublin North-West MP and a member of the Housing Committee studying the Bill, has predicted that it might require another six weeks of sessions, from Monday to Friday, including during the upcoming Dáil break, to address all the changes. Micheál Martin, the Tánaiste, informed the assembly that a meticulous pre-legislative scrutiny process had been conducted on the planning Bill, with the Opposition participating. He emphasised the government’s aspiration for a revamped planning system and indicated potential setbacks on climate objectives if there is a lag in implementing wind farms and other infrastructure.
On the other hand, Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin, the housing spokesperson, labelled the government’s imposed timetable as “simply impracticable”. Mr Ó Broin penned a letter to Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl, querying his office’s ability to help in resolving the “grave disagreement” over the Bill’s Committee consideration schedule. He also wrote that members were precluded from performing other duties due to the timetable, which saw an average of seven meetings a week, each spanning up to 19 hours spread across three days.
Mr Ó Broin suggested that a Joint Committee be convened each sitting week to facilitate other committee business, and four Select Committee meetings be held each sitting week to hasten the Bill’s progression.
In a separate discussion, Mr Martin voiced his “deep concern” about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He welcomed the EU Commission’s decision to provide €50 million to Unrwa, the UN body that assists Palestinians, and acknowledged Canada’s renewed funding support. Regarding the shocking famine and other humanitarian issues, he pressed TDs and senators to persist with their efforts to obtain affirmative votes in the family and care referendums on Friday. He was optimistic about the feedback from the campaign, especially among the youth.
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