The programme for Government includes commitments with regard to job creation. The Minister and his Government colleagues are aware of what has happened with the proposed €850 million Apple project in Athenry because of the planning process. That project could have had positive knock-on effects for our country, but instead it has been pulled out of Ireland. Surely the Government will have to look at the question of objections to planning permissions. We appreciate that people have the right to object, but in this case a couple of people have been able to stop a project that was going to involve an investment of €850 million. This will have knock-on effects on contractors and everybody who would have worked on the project. It would have brought money into the local area, but now it is gone. Another project that was started in another country at the same time is now up and running. That is symbolic of what is happening with the planning process here. I ask the Government to ensure shambolic episodes of this nature are never again allowed to happen in this country. We have to do something about this.

The failure here was not a failure of the planning process. I recognise that improvements have to be made. That is why the planning Bill that is currently going through the Houses categorises things like data centres as part of our strategic infrastructure and allows them to go directly to An Bord Pleanála. We have seen from Mr. Justice Peter Kelly, who is the President of the High Court, that strategic infrastructure projects are under the new accelerated judicial review process. The judicial review process for planning applications will be improved in a second planning Bill that is to be introduced later this year. The Bill in question will streamline the timing around such applications and make sure someone who is making an objection has a significant interest in that infrastructure. It will ensure all the things that are a part of this process, including preliminary hearings, can be shortened and can happen more quickly. This is necessary to avoid unnecessary delays or interference in good plans that will deliver jobs and employment to all parts of our country.