This article is from page 24 of the 2013-10-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 24 JPG
ONE of Ireland’s most experienced planners has raised serious concerns about the role that politicians play in planning process in Ireland.
Brendan McGrath, who is a consultant planner with Clare County Council, believes that clientelism has become endemic in the Irish plan- ning system and has come to supersede the public good as a planning consideration.
In his new book, ‘Landscape and Society in Contemporary Ireland’, Mr McGrath concedes that “something has gone wrong” in the Irish planning system, which he argues does not serve the common good.
“The political system functions to support individual landowners. Cli- entelism gets in the way of consideration that are more supportive of the broader community. It [political interference in planning] is an obstacles to the common good, which is what the planning system should be about,” he says.
“Even at a very local level clientelism is not helpful. The decisions are not made with the landscape in mind, instead decision are made be- cause of who owns what land. That is not about the wider best interests.
McGrath argues that it is not individual politician who are to blame for this process but rather the planning system which allows for rampant clientelism.
“It’s not as though politicians are looking to make lots of money on these things [planning decisions], but it is putting personal interests before decisions that effect more people,” he said.
“If things were being run properly, if there was no clientelism, the real planning arguments would hold sway rather than these local influences that get in the way.
“Councillors have a duty to the people that they represent, so if someone comes to them an says they want something zoned X, Y or Z, then the councillor is quite entitled to take that on board.
“When these type of considerations override the way that decisions are made then it is contrary to proper planning and development. That is the order of the day in local government where zoning decisions are made.
“Even with simple planning application, when the decision lies with the county manager. But even in these situations representations are made to managers and to their offices. And on occasion these representations can be given excessive weight.”
Brendan McGrath’s book, ‘Landscape and Society in Contemporary Ireland’, will be published this week by Cork University Press.”