No confidence motion an "attention seeking exercise", says Minister O'Brien

Olivia Kelleher

Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien has claimed that a motion of no confidence being tabled against him by People before Profit is a "bit of a stunt."

In an interview with Morning Ireland, on RTE Radio 1, Minister O'Brien said that the motion is an "attention seeking exercise."

"I think people see what People before Profit are doing as "a bit of a stunt." I welcome the debate on Government performance. That is fine. I am very clear on the work I have done.

"We have just discussed planning reform. I imagine here that People before Profit will oppose that. They will find a reason to oppose everything like they did the Affordable Housing Act. They opposed it.

"They say they want homes built on State owned lands. They opposed the Land Development Agency Bill. I know what they are against. I have no idea what they are for. We will have an opportunity to debate them."

The motion has been tabled by People Before Profit with a counter motion expected from the Government on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, Minister O'Brien said that the Housing Consolidation Bill which is being brought to Cabinet on Tuesday as well represents the culmination of the work of fifteen months.

"Most people will understand that we need a modern planning system that is underpinned by updated planning legislation and regulation.

"It is a radical piece of legislation. It is badly needed. The last Consolidated Planning Bill we had had was in 2000.

"We are looking at the restructuring of An Bord Pleanala about how we will split that between planning decisions in Governance. Also the issue of time bound decisions."

"That will be very clearly in our planning system that they would be set to specific time frames for decisions to be made. Areas around how we can improve the lot particularly for local authorities to CPO vacant and derelict buildings."

He said no one will be restricted from taking a challenge to planning and said "what this is about is providing clarity and transparency as to who is taking that case."

He denied that they were narrowing the scope for organisations to take challenges instead saying that they were "clarifying who those groups would be and who those individuals are."

Minister O'Brien says the system is becoming "very unwieldy."

"A lot of our planning decisions are being taken in the courts. I don't think that the courts in the main are the right places for challenging decisions to be made. We need a more efficient planning system."