Mattie McGrath calls minister's planning changes a 'con job'
Mattie McGrath criticised the minister's proposed planning changes, calling them a "con job" and arguing they would prevent farmers and ordinary people from developing land. He warned the measures remove local planning engagement, leave no clear timelines for applications and risk jobs and loan commitments.
Main accusations
McGrath accused the Green Party of "wagging the dog" of Fianna Fáil and condemned what he described as a spiteful diatribe from the minister. He said the approach is contrived, likening it to a three-card trick designed to block ordinary people from managing their own lands.
Planning process and timelines
He highlighted a backlog of planning applications and criticised the absence of statutory timelines for future applications, arguing the legislation did not require set deadlines. He also attacked the removal of on-site planning meetings between public representatives, planners and constituents.
Discretion over appeals
McGrath warned that appeals would be decided at the minister's discretion, expressing concern that individual determinations would replace transparent procedures. He said this centralised power would leave decisions to a single authority rather than local scrutiny.
Impact on farmers and constituents
He said the changes would stop farmers and ordinary people from developing woods and harvesting crops, put jobs at risk and worsen financial pressures for those with bank loans after a moratorium was lifted. He warned people would be "lambs to the slaughter" if the measures proceed.
Predictions and tone
McGrath predicted backbenchers would still vote the measures through, and repeatedly labelled the proposals a "con job". His speech combined sharp criticism of the policy, scepticism about motives and a defence of local rights and livelihoods.
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I'll be brief as I can, but I can't believe that Minister McConnell will come out with this. The tail is truly wagging the dog. The Green Party are wagging the dog of Fianna Fáil. Left of the dog of Fianna Fáil, the pup, I call it now. There were a party I was proud to remember of, but they're nearly facing extinction. And the way they're going, they will be extinct. There will be a preservation order on what's left of them. This is outrageous. And to think that the Minister, with a backlog now, if you couldn't have dealt with the backlog first, they didn't put it in the legislation that all future applications will have a timeline. Like a building of a house, like a building of a factory, like doing anything else. I think the Minister McConnell, I respect for him, but to come out with this diatribe, as I call it, and here we are, the Greens, oh, touch me nuts, oh, please get in the Finns. They were nice and happy with the pharmaceuticals have been appointed to the bank. They're the model part five of this government. And yet, we're going to Minister Haggard at her own discretion. And every appeal, she'll decide. She'll decide. But we, as public representatives, aren't allowed any more planning meetings on site with planners and with constituents. It's all, oh boy, everything's so fancy now and trimmed up, we can't interfere. And now the Minister of the self-righteous party, that are going to put respect into politics, is going to have the right to decide when is long enough, how long is a piece of string. Queen is long enough, she'll decide, and each individual. Deputy White Barrett said it was 600 put in one day, and it was 800 put in another day by Quilt alone. So she's going to be up all night, and up all day, sitting down, one, two, three, oh, no, you're long enough for that one, I go to the side. We know this is a contrived, convoluted, three-card trick to not allow the farmers and ordinary people to develop their woods and harvest their crops. That's what it is. Dressed up and on the way. I think that Minister McConlogue and his backbenchers will fall in for this and vote in the lobbies for this. It's a con job, if it looks like a con, and walks like a con, it's a con. And it's a con that's not been lost in us anyway, and the people watching in here who are waiting, and their jobs are in peril. And they owe bank loans to people, and the banks removed the moratorium, and you left them due today. This is just sitting with lambs to the slaughter. But you'll be the lambs to the slaughter. And in feit, there will be any effort for the deal with you. Goel maach gurd.
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