The Planning Act was in need of fundamental reform so that there was a presumption in favour of development, the president of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), Mr Joe Tiernan, said yesterday.

Speaking at the CIF's annual conference, Mr Tiernan said the Government had failed to overhaul the Planning Act in 35 years and refused to accept the need for more zoned land.

"What is urgently needed is an attitudinal change, from a culture which regards planning permission as a favour to be conceded, to a new culture which treats the planning function as an integral part of socio-economic development in Ireland," he said. Planning fees imposed by local authorities had increased by 110 per cent over the past four years, a period in which planning applications had increased by 40 per cent. Financial levies on the granting of planning permissions had increased by 150 per cent, he said.

"I hope that the Minister for the Environment will take the opportunity of his current review to indulge in root and branch reform, not just tinkering with what is there already," he said. He added that the construction industry was now larger than agriculture, directly employing 133,000 people and with a £9 billion turnover, contributing to over 17 per cent of gross domestic product.