I think if the Greens should be doing more than condemning corruption that happened in the past, they should be asking what corruption is happening right now.
The Green Party is to bring a private members’ motion before the Dail condemning corruption in the planning process.
The motion condemns those parties that have failed to discipline their members for what it describes as “their collective amnesia” with regard to monies received from developers.
It also “deplores the culture of alleged corrupt planning and rezoning that has resulted in urban sprawl, where schools, playgrounds, local jobs and public transport were not provided in tandem with housing.
Party leader Trevor Sargent claimed corruption in planning had created hundreds of thousands of victims.
“These victims are mainly ordinary taxpayers fleeced by the big developer friends of ‘Bertie the Builder’,” he claimed.
Gavin,
I feel we did address current corruption in the text of the motion and in particular action that needs to be taken. I’ve enclosed an extract from my contribution yesterday evening…
If you’re around this evening in Dublin you’d be welocme to drop in for the conclusion of the debate between 7 and 8.30pm
Ciarán
………………………………
…Curious rezonings are still going on around Ireland. One need only glance at the website Irishcorruption.com to see many of the counties throughout Ireland being named and the individual acts of councillors who are performing rezonings for all the wrong reasons today.
It is not a victimless crime. It is the people who suffer, those who have to commute longer distances to work, those who have no option of public transport who must have a car to drive several miles to buy a litre of milk, whose children have to be shoved into the car to get to school, and whose workplace is located dozens of miles from where they live. That is the legacy of corrupt rezoning that continues to today. It is time a line was drawn in the sand by the Taoiseach and members of the Cabinet to rule out those kinds of rezoning.
The only action taken by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government was to call to attention Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for not rezoning enough land and the debased currency under his tenure and previous Ministers for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government continues without a whimper from successive Ministers.
The way forward is simple. All parties must decline funding from developers as the mere acceptance of such moneys is an undue influence on development decisions. We have to put in place measures to ensure the majority of the increase of value in rezoned land accrues to the State and we have to endorse and legislate for the recommendations of the Kenny report of 1974. Put simply, that report stated that local authorities should have a pre-emptive right to acquire rezoned land at the existing use value plus 25%. That, in one fell swoop, would remove the influence brought to bear on elected representatives…
Thanks for the mention Ciaran, and happy to see at least one member of Dail Eireann is reading. Planning corruption seems to be as bad now as ever, and yet there is a belief that its all in the past…its not.
In the states we take it a step further and call it
Emminent Domain. Entire blocks of residential
areas through out the nation have gone way to big business. Wealthy businesses simply summon the town board
of any given area, show they can improve the prosperity of the community with shopping malls, etc. If the town board agress [which they usually do with hefty handouts] it doesn’t matter who is in their path. Folks who’s homes have been in their families for generations simply have to pack up and move. This act was past by our Supreme Court a few years back and big buisness have taken it to the mat.
The flip side is … areas currently near or co-existing with malls, business districts, etc. are snatched up by the owners of the existing businesses to squelch any possible competition. How that is classified as Emminet Domain remains a secret. We’re not as free as many think. … And while most Americans squabble whether Janet Jackson’s exposed nipple should be considered obscene during the Super Bowel flop … or giggling about Dick Chaney’s shooting accident, other Americans are losing their homes, or Academy Awards … do you believe that??? Honoring people who make 20 million dollars for being in movie! while school teachers are leaving their professions as they do not make enough money to live on. I’m sadden at the shallowness the media [and many citizens]in my country seems to dwell on …
Perhaps a few Irish bloggers should come over and explain to us Americans how to set priorities and teach us exactly how to kick some substantial ass. Our blabbering idiots who claim they are looking out for the little guy … never do anything but talk and use such issues as pulpits to promote thier own names and/or agendas,[as well as
pumping up their own bank accounts on the misery of others]. I can only envy the irish people who have stand up, unpretentious and sincere advocates looking out for them.
Just felt compelled to add my two cents … Thanks.
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Just so you know, Vickys accent wobbles will score you only one run in Eastenders cricket
Nothing gets you going in the morning like a bit of Godspeed You Black Emperor. Somehow The Dead Flag Blues off of F#A#Oo really hits the spot at the moment.
on a family trip to visit mother and company in bumblefuck, alabama, my genet
Down the roof and down the rods all around us,
Obligatory & Probably Jeopardizing Self Promotion
CHARLENE WILL BE ON A BUSINESS TRIP THROUGH THE NEXT DAY, SHE WILL NOT BE ON VACATION THANKS
Anish Kapoors big plasticky thingy is really impressive, taking over the big turbine hall and making you feel like climbing in.