Land rezoning at the 'root' of all corruption

Land rezoning is at the root of all corruption currently being reported and the planning process is the one area in need of urgent reform, the Dáil has been told.

Fine Gael TD for Louth, Mr Fergus O'Dowd said corruption occurred in the personal contact between developers and landowners on one side and public representatives and planners on the other.

"That is what needs to change. That problem is at the core of the tribunals, the greedy, grubby, grasping hand that is reaching into people's pockets," he said.

"This country's planning process has been proved to be corrupt at all levels, from taoisigh to ministers to councillors and this House has not responded adequately to that problem." Instead, it set up tribunals when it was the planning process, "particularly in the context of rezoning questions, which is the root of this problem". Deputy O'Dowd was speaking during a debate on the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) (Amendments) Bill, to allow the chairman of the planning tribunal, Judge Mahon, make orders for costs incurred during the tenure of the previous chairman, Mr Justice Flood.

The Co Louth TD said one county councillor told him how his home was like a "spaghetti junction" before the passage of the controversial Louth county development plan, "with developer after developer and landowner after landowner coming to him to make their case."

He said that in some cases when development plans are drawn up the developer has the plan before the councillors. A businessman he knew had produced a copy of a development plan for the county council "of which I was a member, but which I had not seen. I asked him where he had got it and he said it was widely circulated and that everybody had it, yet as an elected member of that council I did not have a copy of the plan".

His view was echoed by Mr Ciarán Cuffe (GP, Dún Laoghaire) who said that the tribunals only dealt with planning allegations in specific Dublin land parcels. "Dubious rezonings occur on a monthly basis all around Ireland. Those rezonings are at best bizarre, and at worst grotesque." He called for a "fundamental review of the process of compiling a development plan. At the very least we should ensure that development plans are referred to an examining body which can examine the sustainability of those plans."

Mr John McGuinness (FF, Carlow-Kilkenny) said there was an onus on Government and parliament to "get our heads around how much these tribunals will costs exactly. Members need to know as any business would demand, to what costs the State will be exposed". He said that people asked "how many hip replacements could have been done or MRI scanners put in place for the money that was spent on the tribunals."

Labour's spokesman, Mr Joe Costello said the impression had been given by the Government's "spin doctors that the tribunal is a total waste of taxpayers' money", but he said a great deal had been recovered from sources which received corrupt payments.

The Minister of State for Justice, Mr Willie O'Dea, who introduced the legislation, said there was "spin and reality. The reality is that people genuinely are getting fed up of the tribunals. They say they are taking too long and are costing the earth."

He said the Government was moving on both the cost and length of time tribunals took. Progress was being made on the Commissions of Investigation Bill, which it was hoped, "can provide for an alternative, more timely and cost-effective mechanism for investigations".