I thank Deputy Ó Broin for his work on this legislation. This Sinn Féin Bill seeks to end the current planning exemption for IPAS and temporary protection accommodation. That exemption has been in place for too long. A standard measure of a democratic system is that communities should have the ability to provide input on planning proposals that affect the area in which they live. Legislation currently allows for IPAS accommodation to be exempt from this minimal public engagement process. We have seen examples where it has led to anger, frustration and even division. It is now time for the exception to end. Ending the exemption for IPAS accommodation is not just about community input, although that is vital. It is also crucial to ensuring that the accommodation provided is suitable for housing those seeking international protection. We have seen that the exemption has facilitated the use of unsuitable buildings, vacant commercial buildings, old factories and office blocks. Without planning scrutiny, local authorities cannot properly assess the suitability of a site or a building, which is not in anyone's interest. It is a system that has led to bad decisions and community alienation. People continually tell us that they feel they are denied a say. It has also led to consternation in many cases, where property owners request an exemption for buildings for which they do not have a contract for accommodation and which the Department tells us they have no interest in using. That has put elected representatives and other community leaders in a very difficult position as people are wondering whether it is the request for the exemption or the departmental statements that should be heeded. It is time for the Government to recognise that it has badly mismanaged the IPAS accommodation system. The failure to do so thus far suggests that previous mistakes are likely to be repeated in the future. That is why it was so worrying that last night the Government and others rejected my amendment to the International Protection Bill that would have ensured that a community impact assessment would be conducted prior to any new IPAS accommodation going ahead. It seems that the Government still has not learned that communities have to be part of the decisions that affect them. Sinn Féin has been clear that IPAS centres should be placed in areas that are resourced to accommodate them, that community engagement has to be a real and defined concept, and that the private interests of property owners should not be allowed to be prioritised above all other considerations. The first step is to end the planning exemption and to support this Bill.

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