Clane–Maynooth Independent Councillor Pádraig McEvoy - one of a group taking a High Court challenge against the Government’s new apartment planning standards - says developers, business figures some Government officials have been "repeating" the same "talking points" in recent weeks.
A Kildare councillor has claimed there is a coordinated effort under way to pin Ireland’s housing and infrastructure delays on the judicial review system.
Clane–Maynooth Independent Councillor Pádraig McEvoy - one of a group taking a High Court challenge against the Government’s new apartment planning standards - says developers, business figures and some Government officials have been "repeating" the same "talking points" in recent weeks.
His comments come after the Government confirmed in court last month that it is abandoning its proposed apartment-planning guidelines and will instead prepare a new national planning statement, along with a full environmental assessment.
That move followed a legal challenge brought by McEvoy and others.
The case is currently back before the courts this morning and is not expected to conclude until around 1pm.
It is exploring whether or not the Government's apartment guidelines could impact livability for residents, owners and renters.
The original guidelines would have allowed developers to increase the proportion of studios in new schemes, reduce minimum studio size to 32 square metres, lower dual-aspect requirements from 33% to 25%, and permit fewer lifts, windows and private open spaces.
Speaking generally about judicial reviews, Cllr McEvoy said there has been a surge in claims that legal challenges are “frivolous,” based on “technicalities,” or part of a wider “judicial review industry.”
He claimed that the narrative is designed to justify restricting communities’ access to the courts.
According to McEvoy, limiting judicial reviews will not speed up the delivery of homes, but will lessen public oversight and shift "power" towards major developers.
He said judicial reviews remain as one of the "last tools left to hold the system itself to account".
He argued that presenting scrutiny as delay narrows who can "question power" and how.
Vacuum-Packing Machine Lid Killed Worker As Kildare Town Firm Faces Court Over Second Fatality
Water Test Failure Disrupts On-Base Military Training At Curragh Camp
Government Told Grok Clothing-Removal Feature Has Been Disabled Worldwide
Kildare North TD Says He Acted Immediately To Repay Pension Overpayment When It Came To Light
Maynooth Study: Pet Loss Causes The Same Level Of Grief As Losing A Loved One
Kildare TD James Lawless Pays Back Following Pension Error While Martin Heydon Unaffected
Call To Review Cycle Lane In Maynooth Following Two Accidents, With One Resulting In 86-Year-OId Cyclist Breaking His Hip
Up To €1,000 Available For Kildare Parent And Toddler Groups
