THERE’s more regard given to the snail, worm, bat, or bulrush than there is for the human being when it comes to the Limerick Development Plan 2022-2028.
This was the view of Fine Gael councillor Stephen Keary at November’s Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District meeting, as a call was made to change the plan to allow for one-off rural settlements.
Fianna Fáil councillor Bridie Collins made the proposal after the High Court quashed a ruling by Fingal County Council and An Coimisiún Pleanála for a proposed development less than four kilometres outside Lusk in County Dublin.
“The person was a resident of the village and, as we know around this table, anybody in a level four settlement under the hierarchy of settlements in the County Development Plan will not get permission to build a one-off or site outside that settlement,” she said.
“So, in light of that judgement, I want to see what we need to do to change our County Development Plan to allow for that.
“I welcome that judgement in County Dublin and I would like to see it implemented within our own county as a result of that ruling.”
Cllr Keary took the view that there is a whole series of issues that need to be addressed in the Development Plan.
According to Cllr Keary, the Development Plan has made a major contribution to the deterioration of rural communities.
“We’re preventing couples from building a house on a so-called substandard road, which has no impact whatsoever on traffic. The thing is, young people who intend to settle in a parish, maybe have a couple of children, make a major contribution to schools and sporting organisations, are being deprived of living in those areas,” he said.
“Yet they are sent to live in Limerick City and I would class a lot of those places as city bloody ghettos. That’s all they are. They’re not fit for purpose,” Cllr Keary claimed.
“There’s no regard for the human being. There’s more regard given to the snail, worm, bat, or bulrush,” he fumed.
Cllr Adam Teskey (FG) pointed out to Council management that frequently at local authority meetings amendments are made to make variations to the Development Plan, which begs the question, “is it fit for purpose?”
“There’s more regard for the hen harrier. We’re being forced out of our own country. We were forced by what was determined to us at the time with the statutory process and we were removing guidelines around timeframes in the middle of a so-called pandemic,” Cllr Teskey said.
“And every second day now we hear amendments to the Development Plan. We have actually, in our own mistakes, helped increase the homeless and the victims in this country by not facilitating people that wanted to construct a dwelling in a rural setting.
“We have failed as a local authority to protect people in our landscaped areas, we’re turning our back on them. Then you have the EPA who have a one size fits all attitude. The Development Plan of Limerick City and County Council has failed us.”
Director of Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District, Vincent Murray, explained that Mayor John Moran would be required to bring forward a report on any proposed variation for consideration. He told Council members that this will now be done by the local office as a first step.
– Local Democracy Reporting Scheme