Twenty years ago, county councillors in Mayo and Galway had an unenviable reputation for refusing to accept the planning advice of officials and for directing the manager to grant permission for undesirable developments in scenic areas. That torch has passed. For, with the local elections approaching, council meetings in Kerry have become dominated by Section 104s, under which building permissions are granted against the advice of officials.
The number of such motions has trebled in recent months and 60 came before yesterday's meeting of Kerry County Council.
Councillors admit to coming under "savage pressure" from constituents to grant permissions. And, with an election less than two months away, they are being as co-operative as possible. The same attitude informs the actions of councillors in Clare and along the western seaboard. It is a recipe for visual blight. And it is not good enough.
At the Fianna Fáil ardfheis six weeks ago, the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Mr Cullen, announced a relaxation in the planning laws for once-off housing. Those concessions were designed to facilitate the sons and daughters of farmers who wished to live on the family farm, or to allow people working locally to live in the community. Local authorities were instructed to operate the new guidelines with immediate effect. It has obviously not satisfied some councillors.
From a situation where An Taisce and Regional Fishery Boards became the targets of frustrated developers and angry farmers, there is now a danger that planning officials may come under similar pressure. Almost one-third of the professional planners in Kerry County Council have left in the past two months. And the Irish Planning Institute has suggested their departures were influenced by a relentless pressure to facilitate development. That is not good for proper planning nor for Kerry.
Visitors regard the Irish landscape as the primary attraction of our tourism industry. It must be protected, just as the quality of our ground water must be safeguarded. But many Section 104s cause unacceptable damage to that heritage and to the prosperity and job prospects of those working in the tourist sector. Irish planning rules are relatively lax when compared to those of the English Lake District.
Planning at local authority level, especially where once-off housing is concerned, is fraught with difficulty. Farmers want to realise their assets through the sale of sites. And people want to live in the countryside. But reasonable limits must be set and scenic areas protected. Good planning is not an option. It is essential.