Humans are part of the environment too. If they have a home, that is
PROPERTY
Property Insights with Johnny Gannon Fair Deal Property
At long last, a little common sense is emerging in the Irish planning system. And God knows, we need it.
The Department of Housing has published draft regulations aimed at reducing unnecessary environmental assessments. Developments of up to 250 homes could proceed without Environmental Impact Assessment screening.
Junior Minister John Cummins argues that councils already assess environmental impacts when zoning land for housing. He has a point.
We've seen small housing developments, some involving just ten houses, held up for six months because bat surveys were required.
Had anyone seen a bat on the site? No. Was there evidence of bats living there? None whatsoever.
But the required activity survey had to wait until the summer season. So, everyone waited. And waited.
Eventually, the survey was completed. Not a bat in sight.
Six months lost. Ten badly needed homes delayed. And not one bat inconvenienced.
You couldn't make it up.
Another developer told me about a housing scheme that was held up because of the potential presence of an exceptionally rare fish. The fish it transpired was rarer than anticipated. It never was sighted, but months were lost awaiting its appearance.
Now, I'm not suggesting we bulldoze the countryside or disregard genuine environmental concerns. We all want to protect our natural heritage.
But surely there must be a balance?
I have often thought there is a grain of anti-humanitarianism running through parts of the environmental movement. A strange philosophy that somehow places the needs of animals, sometimes even imaginary animals, above the very real needs of human beings.
We have families living in emergency accommodation, young couples priced out of their communities and grown adults still living in childhood bedrooms because they cannot afford a home.
Every unnecessary delay adds cost, and ultimately ordinary families pay.
These proposals offer an opportunity to restore some balance.
Protect our wildlife, absolutely. Nobody is arguing otherwise. But somewhere along the way, we seem to have forgotten that human beings are part of the environment too.
Here in Tuam, young couples want to put down roots, raise families and build their futures in the community they call home.
These are real people with real needs, not theoretical possibilities in an environmental report.
Tuam needs homes for its people, not the obsessional protection of imaginary wildlife. Surely that isn't too much to ask.
For further information, call 093 59714 or visit www.fairdealproperty.ie.