THE CORNERSTONE OF the government’s housing policy is causing upset before it has even passed, with the opposition hitting out at the proposal to guillotine the legislation.
They criticised that a time cap has been imposed on the debate which has been scheduled for today and tomorrow and urged the government not to use a guillotine to end that debate tomorrow evening.
The guillotine is a legislative tool which allows for a debate on a piece of legislation to be stopped after an agreed period of time, regardless of what stage the debate is at.
The Fine Gael-Labour government was criticised for the overuse of the guillotine and in 2013, its use was even criticised by former Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan who condemned the use of the guillotine mechanism to kill off any debate from the opposition.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik today called for the bill not to be guillotined tomorrow night, stating that it is a really important Bill where there are great concern about it.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said the legislation is obviously extremely important as regards to how our planning process will work in the years ahead.
“It is clear that we need to give this Bill as long as it needs for debate,” he said.
“It is crazy to think that such mammoth legislation, which has been in gestation for a couple of years, could be guillotined. It needs ample time for discussion and eight hours before a guillotine is imposed is outrageous. We need more time. This cannot happen,” said Independent TD Mattie McGrath.
With the government parties buoyant for not faring as badly in the elections as had been predicted, a government spokesperson was asked by reporters today if the rush to get the legislation through had anything to do with the prospect of an early election, something which was roundly denied this afternoon.
The Taoiseach said in the Dáil today that the legislation has not in any way been rushed, stating that this Bill had 120 hours of debate on Committee Stage.
“It also went through pre-legislative scrutiny,” he added.
“At some point, we need to get on and pass a law that is going to reform our planning laws. Only a few weeks ago, the Deputies were all shouting at me about the importance of the Housing Commission, which talked about the need to overhaul our planning system. This place needs to do its job and pass the law. There is a housing emergency and crisis,” said Harris.
“We need to roll up the sleeves and get the job done. We are doing four and a half hours today and eight hours tomorrow. People need homes. We need our planning system to be reformed. This Government is going to actually make progress on housing, while some in the Opposition are trying to obstruct that progress,” he added.
A spokesperson for Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said the Bill is the culmination of a 15-month review of planning legislation by the former Attorney General and a team of legal planners which began in 2021.
Since the draft Bill was published in 2022 it has underwent widespread consultation, they said, stating that the revised Bill was approved by government in September 2023 with this updated version published in November 2023.
They added that the government have always been clear that the intention was to pass the Bill before the summer recess.
“The Bill, once enacted, will ensure greater clarity, certainty and consistency in our planning system,” the added.
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