Enough talking, let’s change the rules

The reaction to the seismic Mahon Report focussed on the villains of the piece — Ahern, Flynn, Lawlor, Burke and O’Callaghan — and their supporting cast.

Great energy and indignation has been used to express outrage that such powerful individuals used position or wealth to influence planning decisions but were any of us really that surprised?

Next Friday Fianna Fáil will consider expelling some of the now-irrelevant lead players but that party, like the rest of society, must do far more than confront those indicted. It, and the rest of us, must consider what must be done to make it far, far more difficult for politicians and developers — or anyone else — to drive a coach-and-four through planning policies to the detriment of society.