Green Party leader John Gormley said this evening he was confident the era of bad planning had come to an end.
Speaking in Downpatrick at the AGM of the Northern Ireland Greens, Mr Gormley said he had "noted with interest" the announcement yesterday evening that corruption charges were being brought against four former Dublin City councillors.
"I am reminded of the episode where one of those charged, former councillor and senator Don Lydon, put my colleague Trevor Sargent into a headlock in the chamber of Dublin County Council, as Trevor highlighted payments to politicians involving land zoning," he said.
"Then as now, the Green Party was a solitary voice against bad and reckless planning, while councillors from Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin – at the behest of developers – rezoned as much of our countryside as they possibly could."
Mr Gormley said his party had cleaned up the planning system in the country with the introduction of the Planning Act this year.
He added that it was thanks to his party that development would now be focused on creating sustainable communities and not ghost estates.
"I am encouraged that the wheels of justice are beginning to move against white collar crime," he said.