There’s been a call on government to revoke the emergency legislation introduced in 2022 to allow property owners to bypass the planning process if they are providing emergency accommodation for refugees or asylum seekers.
At yesterday’s Ballina Municipal District meeting Killala based Fine Gael councillor Jarlath Munnelly made the call, and councillors supported his call, and the authority is to write to the appropriate Minister to call on the legislation to be revoked.
Councillors say the emergency legislation has caused resentment in local communities where owners of large properties have been able to accommodate, at considerable profit to themselves, a large volume of refugees and asylum seekers without the need to apply for planning permission to do so.
Councillor Munnelly has been speaking to Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley about why he believes this “temporary emergency legislation” is no longer required…
