Madam, - Conor Brophy's letter of January 5th provides another example of the role inaccurate information has been playing in the debate on planning in rural areas.
At a recent meeting of the Oireachtas Environment Committee, An Bord Pleanála, the Irish Planning Institute, An Taisce and the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland all admitted were no accurate statistics on the number of one-off detached houses in rural areas.
Mr Brophy's reference to the prevalence of holiday and second homes is a red herring and local authorities have ample powers to restrict such development. This is a different issue from the need to preserve balanced habitation in this country. The policy of the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland, aimed at restricting the traditional dispersed village or townland model, reflects an élitist mindset probably influenced by the fact that its members are involved in designing only 10 per cent of one-off houses in the countryside.
I am concerned about inconsistent planning and do not condone laissez-faire house building. However, I do defend the right of any Irish citizen to apply for planning permission in any part of Ireland and the right of local authorities operating to informed guidelines to assess applications. - Yours, etc.,
DECLAN MacPARTLIN, Baylands Stud, Camolin, Co Wexford.
Madam, - The central complaint of Jerry Cowley, TD seems to concern "unelected officials" who, in merely doing their jobs as planning officials, are dictating to decent people "whose ancestors fought so hard to regain the sacred earth."
His solution to this problem is the immediate "appointment" of a planning ombudsman.
The replacement of unelected officials with an unelected ombudsman is a curious answer to a democratic deficit. Clearly Mr Cowley must want us to elect not just the councillors who vote on planning matters but also the engineers, architects and planners who enforce and supervise such decisions. If this happens, will we then also move to remedy the problems of unelected gardaí, unelected teachers and unelected traffic wardens dictating to decent people?
Mr Cowley seems to be bothered about anyone who can claim some ancestral involvement in the war of independence being told what they may do with their land. Presumably people whose grandparents were neutral observers or who were on the losing side must be subject to the same planning laws as the patriotic people Mr Cowley is so concerned with. - Yours, etc.,
WILLIAM FOGARTY, The Sweepstakes, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
Madam, - I'm shocked at Jerry Cowley's criticism of our recently revamped planning legislation. For a public representative to undermine an important institution is remiss indeed. Would he, for example, publicly criticise our courts system if some judgments appeared questionable? As a legislator he must acknowledge that An Bord Pleanála has legal status equivalent to the High Court and deserves similar respect and regard.
It is a planning appeals tribunal of last resort. This role was vested in the Minister until the late 1970s when An Bord Pleanála was set up specifically to take over these powers and ensure independent, non-political decisions.
How then can Mr Cowley seriously ask: "Is it not past time that our people had a truly independent appeal system on planning matters?" His portrayal of our planning system as "unelected officials dictating to the decent people of Ireland whilst agencies answerable to no one ride slipshod over other people's property rights" may reflect genuine frustration but it is misdirected. We do have a good system but it needs everyone's support to make it work.- Yours, etc.,
EDWARD MORAN, Belmullet, Co Mayo.