With a general election pending, Kerry county councillors have returned to their bad old ways. Earlier this week, a majority of elected representatives ignored the recommendations of planning officials and voted to rezone parcels of land for housing and commercial use in scenic and inappropriate areas. And the same names that featured before the 2004 local elections in forcing through a plethora of one-off housing permissions were again prominent.
There is a danger that serious damage will be done to the tourism industry. Surveys have shown that visitors regard the landscape as the country's primary attraction. In the south-west, areas of outstanding beauty like the Ring of Kerry, the mountains and the lakes of Killarney figure prominently. And the same holds true in Wicklow and along the western seaboard. But our traditional landscape is being transformed by unsuitable developments and by one-off housing.
Decisions taken in Kerry related to a draft development plan for the Killarney-Tralee area. Not alone did councillors reject the advice of senior officials, they turned a blind eye to the Planning Act and stymied the attempted prosecution of a developer. They opened up an area overlooking the lakes of Killarney to light industrial use. And they granted permission for a housing estate in the middle of the countryside.
In recent years, the Government amended the planning regulations on two occasions to facilitate one-off housing and to allow farmers raise money from the sale of sites. In spite of that, pressure continues to mount on planning officials and on councillors. A halt must be called. We are no longer an impoverished society. The time when development, any development, was a welcome occurrence in rural Ireland has long gone. We must take steps to protect areas of particular beauty and, through them, the tourism industry. The sector is a major employer and, with climate change on the way, it has the capacity to grow significantly. In order to do that, however, Tourism Ireland must have a visually attractive package to sell.
Minister for Tourism John O'Donoghue recently announced a seven-year investment programme for the industry amounting to €800 million. That was good news.
But the Minister also represents Kerry South, the area directly affected by these bad planning decisions. Perhaps he could point out to his political colleagues in the area the dangers inherent in what they are doing? It might not be a popular course of action. But leadership and direction are required at this time.