Madam, - The leader of the Seanad, Mrs Mary O'Rourke, responding to a remark concerning An Bord Pleanála (The Irish Times, October 13th) said it was "impossible to make representations to the board. They'll take a call, but you'll be told nothing".
May I say to Mrs O'Rourke and to her elected colleagues of both houses that politicians making representations to An Bord Pleanála by phone is wrong?
Planning law allows representations to be made to the board from many quarters. Such representations must be in writing, submitted within the time set down, and eventually made available on the public file. As Mrs O'Rourke wouldn't dream of phoning a judge during a court case, why should she feel she can phone the planning appeals board?
The only way to have any sort of control over the present developer-led planning of our towns and villages is to have a truly independent appeals system. Any politicians who use their office to attempt to sway a decision in favour of a particular group (usually developers) in the long run only act against themselves. By election time the developers may be long gone but the effects of their work will be felt by communities for a long time to come. And it is the people in those communities who vote in the politicians. - Yours, etc,
ANTHONY MacGABHANN, Herbert Road, Bray, Co Wicklow.