Accusing the members of Wexford County Council of, "acting in a cynical and provocative manner" Cllr Dwyer warned that they are now attempting to throw open development of the countryside as a free-for-all to the eventual detriment of the entire landscape.

Cllr Dwyer agreed with reported comments from the Council's Director of Services, Adrian Doyle, who expressed the view that what had been decided was contrary to planners’ advice and contrary to Department of Environment Guidelines. "Mr Doyle and others including An Taisce are particularly worried about the impact that the measures, to allow almost anyone to indulge in “one-off” housing in almost any location, would have on the countryside.

"The proposed lifting of restriction on housing in sensitive areas is potentially so damaging that this measure alone will raise a storm of protest throughout the nation. Holiday homes on top of Mount Leinster, Florida-style apartment blocks on Curracloe beach : this is the corrolary. It is about time that the councillors awoke to the fact that the most valuable thing Ireland possesses is space.Once space is filled, it is gone for ever. Preserve the space and its value increases inexorably. It is the reason our visitors come to Ireland. They do not come to see a landscape pockmarked with a myriad of “villas”.

"Housing will not be for people who have a need to be in the area, it will be for those who wish to exploit the lifestyle that they imagine they can aspire to and who by so doing will destroy the very environment they covet.

"It is no surprise that these measures were brought in by certain Fianna Fáil members who have known connections with development companies and who would have coordinated these proposals beforehand with the FF ruling block in the Council as a do or die measure. The record of Wexford Council these past years has been so abysmal that the Councillors are well aware that this might be their last session. This move must thus be seen as purely political and despicable" said Cllr Dwyer.

"The effects of these measures now voted through are manifest but the one certain thing is that this will make matters worse for the lower paid and their families struggling to find anywhere decent to live that they can afford to buy. The culpable councillors need to be reminded that they are supposed to deal with matters of necessity, not matters of speculation and in this they have overstepped the mark."

"Sinn Féin has full sympathy with the now bewildered planners at County Hall who, like Mr Doyle are evidently utterly dismayed at the turn of events and who can see that it would be impossible for them to resist almost any demand to put a house almost anywhere. Having spent years trying against all sorts of pressures to control housing and to preserve a logical approach with developed guidelines, this deliberate opening of Pandora’s Box must have left them in some degree of shock in which their reaction is one of simply closing the door and letting the world outside get on with the mess that will now be precipitated if these measures are ratified."ENDS

Full Text of Cllr Dywers Speech:

"The majority decision by Wexford County Council to vary the County Development Plan is out of step with the Government's Spatial Strategy (Section 5.3.2) and against the advice of the Councils own planning officials with regard to rural development.

This action is seen as a cynical and provocative manoeuvre by developer oriented councillors who can see a block of votes being secured in the countryside by their action. By offering a speculative opportunity to landowners to get planning permission on their lands and convert them into development areas they apparently think that this will ensure that farmers and their families will vote to retain the existing ruling block on the council to ensure the windfall.

That Fianna Fail Councillors are prepared to step so far out of line with their own Government shows just how desperate they must be to retain power and the fact that this measure is also to the advantage of their developer friends will do them no harm at all as individuals, or so they think.

The effects of these measures now voted through are manifest but the one certain thing is that this will make matters worse for the lower paid and their families struggling to find anywhere decent to live that they can afford to buy. The culpable councillors need to be reminded that they are supposed to deal with matters of necessity, not matters of speculation and in this they have overstepped the mark.

The strange thing is that this measure of throwing open development of the countryside as a free-for-all is one that Fine Gael has been advocating for the same vote catching reasons and this action of the Wexford councillors therefore sets a precedent. Now it appears that both FF and FG TDs and their allies can quote this precedent throughout the country to the eventual detriment of the entire landscape.

Fianna Fail TD’s have already been crowing with delight and trying to claim credit and toting out their arguments about “townlands” and “rural communities” all of which are hopelessly out of date but which conveniently deflect attention from the urban housing debate which is the real concern.

Sinn Féin takes the view that development measures to ensure the creation of jobs, the implementation of the Spatial Strategy, the pursuit of the developed views of both town and county planners and the provision of affordable urban housing along with maintenance of the stock take precedence in the built environment over such measures as this gerrymandered decision.

Some heart is taken from the words of Mr Adrian Doyle, the Council’s Director of Services, who, at the end of the meeting when the motions were passed, is reported as saying that although he bowed to the power of the council, he expressed the view that what had been decided was contrary to planners’ advice and contrary to Government and Department of Environment Guidelines. He stated that such proposed amendments to the County Development Plan must first be written up and placed before the elected Members for adoption of the specific wording and these amendments must be advertised for public comment before the measures can be implemented.

Comments received before publication will also be considered by the Members and only then will such formal amendments be decided. He implied that this might not happen.

He stated that the County Development Plan as adopted in June 2001 remains in operation until any amendment is ratified. We would take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Doyle in acting steadfastly in the face of pressure.

Mr Doyle and others including An Taisce are particularly worried about the impact that the advertised measures to allow almost anyone to indulge in “one-off” housing in almost any location would have on the countryside. The proposed lifting of restriction on housing in sensitive areas is potentially so damaging that this measure alone will raise a storm of protest throughout the nation. Holiday homes on top of Mount Leinster, Florida-style apartment blocks on Curracloe beach : this is the corrolary. It is about time that the councillors awoke to the fact that the most valuable thing Ireland possesses is space.

Once space is filled, it is gone for ever.

Preserve the space and its value increases inexorably. It is the reason our visitors come to Ireland. They do not come to see a landscape pockmarked with a myriad of “villas”.

Widely dispersed one-off housing creates its own form of sterilisation. Wexford (or rather the ruling block in the council) call Wexford “The Model County” but such measures as those now voted up show that in fact they have not got a clue as to what a proper model is.

It is no surprise that these measures were brought in by Fianna Fáil members who have known connections with development companies and who would have coordinated the move beforehand with the FF ruling block in the Council as a do or die measure. The record of Wexford Council these past years has been so abysmal that the Councillors are well aware that this might be their last session. This move is thus seen as purely political and despicable.

While Sinn Féin has full sympathy with any farmer wishing to use land close by his own home to build housing for his family to both keep them close by and to assist them to obtain housing at an affordable price, we do see the need to control such development. It is too easy to exploit such an apparently natural desire by hoodwinking the authorities if there is no control. If such controls are entirely removed, the farmer will soon find himself arguing with his neighbour because his tractor splashed mud on the paintwork of his neighbour’s Mercedes. In other words, the housing will not be for people who have a need to be in the area, it will be for those who wish to exploit the lifestyle that they imagine they can aspire to and who by so doing will destroy the very environment they covet.

Sinn Féin fully supports any farmer marketing his land that has a genuine housing development potential in line with the existing County Development Plan.

Sinn Féin has full sympathy with any farmer who has land inside a sensitive area who finds himself restricted in development. But, apart from the facts that the owner is presumably primarily a farmer and that he is simply unfortunate not to be able to be as flexible in his use of the land as his neighbours, Sinn Fein would advocate special consideration to properly presented and sympathetic designs in these areas. In other words a new generation of specialised designs which would be more suitable to the landscape and not the “page torn out of the catalogue” stuff that proliferates along the inadequate minor roads of Wexford.

Sinn Féin has full sympathy with the now bewildered planners at County Hall who, like Mr Doyle are evidently utterly dismayed at the turn of events and who can see that it would be impossible for them to resist almost any demand to put a house almost anywhere. Having spent years trying against all sorts of pressures to control housing and to preserve a logical approach with developed guidelines, this deliberate opening of Pandora’s Box must have left them in some degree of shock in which their reaction is one of simply closing the door and letting the world outside get on with the mess that will now be precipitated if these measures are ratified.