Sir, – John FitzGerald writes ("Urgency of Ukrainian refugee crisis may prompt radical housing rethink", Economics, Business Opinion, April 15th) that unwise regulatory and planning policies continue to stymie the provision of new homes. He states: "Government needs to ensure that our regulatory framework supports the provision of good-quality housing and doesn't inhibit investment in providing new homes."
David McWilliams regularly addresses in your pages the potential for Ireland to become a superpower in offshore wind energy.
Kevin O'Sullivan (News, April 14th) points out that, with a maritime area seven times larger than our landmass, we are uniquely placed to muscle in on a sector that is a big bet for Europe in weaning itself off Russian oil and gas.
The impediments are planning delays, worries about the electricity grid’s ability to take on vastly increased loads and to store power and uncertainties on policies and timelines which are unnerving investors.
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Kevin O’Sullivan reports Wind Energy Ireland as saying that it is taking 24 months to get a foreshore licence and that getting planning permission and facing a possible judicial review could take another 24 months. The UK promises a foreshore licence within 24 weeks.
Áine Kenny reports (News, April 15th) that delays in issuing work permits are threatening hospitality businesses. It is taking over 20 weeks to process permits. The backlog won’t be solved until September, just in time for the winter tourist season.
The website of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment informs us that it is only now processing standard work permit applications and renewals received in November (2021, I assume). There’s enterprise, trade and employment for you.
The list goes on – the public health system, national broadband, the national children’s hospital.
People missed flights last week not only because of the mess presided over by the DAA but because passports applied for months ago have not been issued.
Afforestation is one of our pet green projects. But backlogs in the grant of licences meant that in each of the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, the number of afforestation licences issued by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was about 60 per cent down on 2017.
This country is being strangled by red tape and mismanagement. – Yours, etc,
PAT O’BRIEN,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.