Pringle: Government failure to act on opposition motions makes support disingenuous

By Thomas Pringle
Updated: 1st February 2023

Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said Government’s position of not opposing opposition motions is disingenuous, when they do nothing to implement the motions after they pass.

The deputy raised the issue while speaking in support of a motion from the Independent grouping to ringfence at least 20% of council development levies for the area from which they’re drawn.

Addressing the Dáil today, Deputy Pringle said: “I note that the Government isn’t opposing this motion. It’s become a trend over the last while that the Government doesn’t oppose motions, but it means that the Government isn’t actually going to do anything with the motion, so in effect it would be more honest if the Government would oppose the motion and vote it down.”

The deputy was speaking on the motion re Local Ringfencing of Council Development Levies and thanked his colleague, Deputy Joan Collins, and her office for bringing it forward.

Deputy Pringle said: “Spending on community projects and community services was slashed during the recession and spending on these projects and services has still not returned to pre-recession levels.”

He said the motion puts forward a very sensible solution, “to ringfence at least 20% of development levies within the local area in which they are drawn from, in order to guarantee that communities experiencing high levels of new developments receive commensurate increases in funding.”

The deputy noted that the minister said this is provided for in Sections 48 and 49 of the Planning and Development Act, but he said this is not the case. Section 49 specifies funding for such works as car parks, rail developments and sewage treatment facilities, he said.

Deputy Pringle said: “Where is the community infrastructure in relation to that?” He said Section 48 focuses on “facilities benefitting development in the area of the planning authority, so basically anywhere in the county”.

Deputy Pringle said: “Development levies can be levied, say, in Glemcolmcille to provide a sewage treatment works in Moville, which is 100 miles away.”

He said: “The reality is that the development contribution scheme is basically a way of replacing money that the Government is refusing to give to local authorities and that’s what it is, it’s to make up for shortfalls in capital funding.”

The deputy said: “As things stand now, if you take 20% of the development contribution and put it forward for community facilities that means that you actually lose funding and you get 20% less funding for water and sewage schemes and road developments in your functional area, and the reality is that the council won’t do that.”

Deputy Pringle said: “I think it is only fair that communities are given the opportunity to reap the benefits of new developments in their areas and vice versa. Developments will only benefit from investing in the community around them.”

The deputy said: “I support this motion’s call to allocate the ringfenced proportion of development levies through a discretionary fund mechanism in each local area office, to be administered and spent at the direction of the elected members for that area. Local elected members have a much better understanding of what their community needs.”

Deputy Pringle said: “Community should be at the heart of legislation like this, and these levies should not aim to provide infrastructure, but to improve communities as a whole.”

He said: “The Government often states that the opposition don’t put forward ideas and solutions, but this motion put forward to you today is a solution to the increased demand for more services, amenities and facilities in our communities, which is affecting the quality of life of our citizens.”

Deputy Pringle said: “I do think that it would be better for you to just vote down this motion today because in reality the Government isn’t going to do anything that’s in this motion. We know that.”

He said: “But what you’re doing now is totally disingenuous.”