The Tánaiste was previously the Minister in the Department responsible for planning and housing. There is an issue with planning around the country. Everybody is talking about getting more houses into the system. Individuals are seeking planning permission and are coming up against all sorts of regulations and hoops that they have to go through. Has the Government really looked at the planning process in the context of getting more houses built? I also want to raise the issue of frivolous referrals of planning applications to An Bord Pleanála, causing delays of six to eight months for the smallest of developments. After six months, perhaps, a letter is then issued stating that the decision date is being again deferred for a further two or three months. Has the Government closely examined this issue? There are many issues in the area of housing but this is one issue where the Government could do something if it was decisive and really examined this issue in detail. This matter is holding up development and holding up young couples getting roofs over their heads.

We have introduced new legislation on planning. There have been significant changes that are having positive results. The main change is a new direct fast-track planning system that goes straight to An Bord Pleanála for large-scale housing developments

What about small-scale developments?

That has delivered in spades, if Deputies will excuse the pun, regarding planning applications being successfully granted in the right places. There are ongoing issues and considerations but there also has to be an entitlement to offer objections and observations. There have to be rules, regulations, guidelines, zoning and so on. That provides limits but also places statutory responsibility on the State to ensure that we are building houses in the right places. I suspect that the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, certainly keeps the kinds of issues raised by the Deputy under review all of the time.