My mother, the late Julie Healy-Rae, always said that if An Taisce in its present format existed in the 1940s and 1950s, we would have no rural electrification because it would have objected to the poles going up to run the wires into people's homes in the countryside. That is a fact and she was right. There would be no light in rural Ireland if the people who are around today were around then.

An Bord Pleanála is an out of control monster in the decisions it is making. An Taisce was formed in 1948 as a national trust and association for the preservation of places of interest and beauty in Ireland. That was a good reason to form An Taisce but it is also now an out of control monster. The people in these organisations need to be reined in. How could anybody classify it as normal behaviour for one individual to have 20 or 30 objections lodged with any local authority at the same time, objecting to young people who want to build family homes in the countryside? It is not normal, natural behaviour for any person to be sitting at home with a dirty, poisoned pen, writing horrible letters about young people.

I cite one place in south Kerry with the permission of the families involved. I will not name the families but I will name the townland and anybody who knows anything about planning in Kerry will know exactly the cases I am talking about. The area to which I refer is Tomies, just outside Killarney. There was torture, mental anguish and disruption to family lives. The Members here might not know the people but they know what I am talking about. Each Member has a version of Tomies in their backyard. They have had cases wherein fine, respectful people wanted to build a family home and were denied the right to do so. There are also politicians who object to planning permission in their constituencies at a time when we are looking for more homes.

The Deputy is over time and I am going to have to object to that.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me because he knows this is also a very important issue outside his own door.

Our role as politicians and policymakers needs to be around how we debate, prepare for and implement legislation and policy. We should not get into the realm of individual planning decisions. That is what planners are there for in terms of the professionalism they show at local authority level and, ultimately, at An Bord Pleanála level should appeals be taken. I caution against this. There are many public representatives involved in objecting to certain planning decisions but we should leave planning decisions to planners. Of course, we need to ensure the legislation and policy direction they get is appropriate to the challenges we face in rural and urban Ireland and we are trying to do this now. The approach towards policy on height in Dublin and other cities is changing appropriately to the challenges of a modern, sustainable and growing city. Likewise in rural Ireland, we need to make sure the balance right between the capacity and ability of individuals who have concerns and objections to be able to voice them and for them to be fairly considered but also to ensure we can allow the right type of development to proceed in a timely manner.

Thank you, Tánaiste.

At the moment, the balance is pretty close to being right but new legislation is being brought forward that I hope will add to the discussion and improve the legislation even further.