Danny Healy-Rae Urges Removal of Antashka Funding Over Objectors
Danny Healy-Rae spoke to the Taoiseach on 12 May 2021 about planning objections and funding for objector groups. He said funding should be taken from Antashka and that serial objectors should be required to pay for their objections, arguing they have denied basic homes to people in Kerry.
Call to remove Antashka funding
He urged that funding be taken from Antashka and said people objecting in this fashion should have to pay for those objections, citing the pain, misery and misfortune inflicted on poor people in Kerry who wanted to build the basic right of a home.
Defence of citizens' rights in planning
He emphasised that the planning system is there to vindicate citizens' rights and that he respects the rights of citizens to use the planning system. He said that the exercise of those rights can never be tied to funding and that he would not advocate tying funding to citizens' access to planning.
Call for planning framework reform
He argued the broader debate requires consistent review of planning frameworks to ensure they are efficient, effective and expedient. He said frameworks should better facilitate different perspectives and referenced an exchange with Deputy Kelly on the issue.
Local impact and geography of objections
He highlighted serial objectors operating "from places like Mayo to developments in Kerry," framing the dispute as one that has practical consequences for local people seeking to build homes and access basic housing rights.
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Cancola, Taoiseach, I believe our country is at a crossroads in relation to objectors and we have Antashka and we have serial objectors right around the country, objecting from places like Mayo to developments in Kerry. I believe, first of all, that you must take the funding from Antashka and I also say to people that are objecting in this fashion, they should have to pay for that objection because the pain and misery and misfortune that they have inflicted on poor people in Kerry that just wanted to build the basic right of home for themselves have been denied by these objectives. First of all, our planning system is there to vindicate citizens rights and I always respect that and that is always there in terms of the rights of citizens to use the planning system itself and that can never be tied to funding or the provision of funding to any organisation nor would I ever advocate that. I think in terms of the broader debate, we have had situations and I think an interesting exchange yesterday with Deputy Kelly, for example, that we do need to consistently look at our planning frameworks to make sure that they are efficient, that they are effective, that they are expedient and that they can facilitate different perspectives much more effectively than currently is the case.
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