Govt legislation over planning system to go before TDs

The Government's extensive legislation to overhaul the planning system is due to go before TDs tonight for a final vote.

The proposed law will see An Bord Pleanála renamed to An Coimisiún Pleanála and a reformed process for taking judicial reviews introduced.

Running to over 900 pages, the legislation is a key part of the Government's plans to deal with the housing crisis.

The legislation also sets out minimum requirements for organisations such as residents' groups to take a judicial review.

Residents associations will have to have constitution and will have to have held a vote to seek a judicial review.

The costs of taking a judicial review will have to be made known in advance.

The proposed law says local authorities will be mandated to draw up ten year development plans instead of six years at present.

The new planning board will be restructured with separation of corporate, decision making and governance functions.

Last week the Government introduced a significant number of amendments to the bill.

Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin has criticised lack of the debate on the changes.

He argued the new legislation "will do more harm than good" and will result in more legal challenges by those denied access to judicial reviews.

Friends of the Earth Chief Executive Oisín Coghlan has criticised the inclusion of plans to allow for a temporary off-shore floating State-owned gas reserves in certain circumstances.

Mr Coghlan raised the issue with the Green Party which has been opposed to the introduction of liquified natural gas (LNG) facilities in Ireland.

He said the Government had introduced "last-minute amendments to the Planning Bill to designate LNG as strategic infrastructure".

However, a Green Party Government spokesman said any such facility would not include fracked gas and would not be a commercial plant.