4th November 2004

PRESS RELEASE

Greens propose radical change to Ireland’s planning laws. "We must take corruption out of rezoning".

The Green Party has called for a radical change to Ireland’s Planning laws with its proposal for a new State body to approve County Development Plans before they become law.

Currently the Minister for the Environment has the final say on Development Plans. Under controversial circumstances recently the previous Minister for the Environment, Martin Cullen TD, instructed councillors in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown to rezone additional green belt land for housing.

Green Party Environment spokesperson, Ciaran Cuffe TD, said today, “This kind of political interference in decision-making smacks of the bad old days in Dublin County Council. However this new body would ensure that worst excesses of rezoning are prevented. Crucial decisions on rezonings should not be politicised. Instead they should be based on the best practice internationally in environmental law. Rezoning motions are often rushed and made in the dead of night. This is wrong and should be stopped.”

“The Green Party are proposing that all City and County Development Plans would be submitted to this new body in draft form for approval. This body would be staffed by people with a strong understanding of social, economic and planning issues. It would include the brightest and the best in the field of town and country planning.”

“We’re worried that Dick Roche is sending out mixed messages on out-of town shopping centres, on land rezoning at traffic black-spots, and on social and affordable housing. It’s time that a new body was set up to oversee planning in Ireland.  Rezoning should not be a dirty word. We want to see land developed in the right place at the right times for the right reasons.”

Green Party Leader, Trevor Sargent TD, said that the Green Party, along with the ESRI and other countries with successful economies,   have long supported the introduction of a carbon taxes but provided it is combined with a corresponding reduction in taxes on labour. “Carbon tax should not be introduced as an extra tax but as a very effective way of changing fuel consumption patterns and  of encouraging energy efficiency and the move to renewable forms of energy such as wind, wave, solar power and biomass.”

  “The Green Party is calling for Minister Roche to publicly state his support as Minister for the Environment for the introduction of carbon taxes and to impress upon his Cabinet colleagues the critical importance of Ireland doing so in order to

·         reduce the problem of global warming and climate change;

·          meet the binding commitments Ireland has made under the Kyoto Protocol and

·          avoid having to pay billions of euros in fines in years to come for non-compliance with Kyoto targets.”

Mr. Sargent said that as part of a national climate change strategy, particularly following the increased incidence of flooding across the country,  the Greens were calling for a national policy restricting the development on flood plains. “This kind of development has led to severe flooding problems in places such as Mallow, Athlone, Fermoy and Clonmel.  As part of this Climate Change Strategy it  is also necessary to introduce measures to encourage greater energy efficiency in businesses and particularly homes, including  the provision of incentives for the installation of renewable energy systems such as solar panels, single wind turbines and geo-thermal heat pumps. The amendment of the existing Building Regulations in order to promote greater energy efficiency, upgrade insulation standards and introduce a requirement for an energy performance certificate or energy rating for all new homes was also necessary.”

Cllr. Deirdre de Burca said that the Green Party was calling on Minister Roche to move beyond talking about incinerators and superdumps and to introduce some positive waste reduction initiatives. We are calling for a national Deposit Refund Scheme to be introduced for drinks container to promote their re-use and recycling."

“Furthermore, the Minister's first-hand experience of the scandal of illegal dumping in Wicklow will help him to realise that serious action is needed to stamp out this lucrative but criminal activity. The Green Party is calling for mandatory legal prosecution of all cases of illegal dumping exceeding 100 tonnes, rather than the kind of sweetheart private agreements that have been reached between Wicklow County Council and Roadstone with regard to multiple illegal dumps on their lands at Blessington, Wicklow. We also want to ensure that the emerging trend whereby illegal dumps are being converted into legal landfills through the granting of retention landfill licences by the EPA is prohibited. These measures are absolutely necessary if we want to stamp out the scourge of illegal dumping".

Deputy Leader, Cllr. Mary White said that the National Monuments Act 2004 introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Martin Cullen has been described by conservationists as “an Act to facilitate roads and real estate”.  The proposed M3 tolled motorway through the Hill of Tara complex is likely to be the next casualty of this misguided legislation.  The Green Party are calling on the Minister to amend the National Monuments Act 2004 to give power of veto to the National Museum over any destruction of, or interference with a National Monument.”

“We want an assessment of a new route that avoids cutting through the centre of the historic and archaeologically rich Tara Skryne valley.

Cllr. White said that amongst the greatest scandals of this Government’s current term in office was the expenditure of over €50 million on an electronic voting system.  “Fortunately, the independent commission set up by the government raised a number of questions about the system’s security and efficiency, and Minister Cullen was obliged to shelve his plans for its introduction.”

“This expensive asset cannot be allowed to be stored left to gather dust. The aim should be to identify the most effective means of enabling the system to perform an independent recount, to test the system and to implement it preferably in time for the next General Election. The Green Party is calling for an independent commission on e voting to be re-constituted to oversee research into, testing and eventual piloting of an e voting system in Ireland.” 

ENDS