Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Amendments Nos. 276, 277 and 278, tabled by Deputy Matthews, seek to amend section 33 of the Bill concerning implementation and monitoring of regional spatial and economic strategies, which provide that a regional assembly prepare a monitoring report in respect of the implementation of the regional spatial and economic strategy every four years. Amendment No. 276 seeks to reduce this frequency to every two years. I cannot accept this amendment as it is appropriate that such a monitoring report is prepared every four years. An RSES shall be in effect for a period of more than ten years and not more than 20 years.

Under section 33, a regional assembly is required to keep the implementation of the RSES under review and prepare a monitoring report within four years of the RSES being made unmodified and every four years after that. It is appropriate that such a report is prepared every four years as it allows for a sufficient period of time for the RSES to be implemented and for progress on it to be monitored. I do not consider a period of two years to be appropriate because there would not be sufficient time between reports to allow the regional assembly to focus on implementation. It would mean that more of the assembly's time would be spent on cycles of monitoring reports, rather than on implementing the strategy.

Amendment No. 277 seeks to include a new requirement that every Government Department and its agencies within three years of the first making or revision of RSES and two years thereafter must submit a report to the regional assemblies on the progress made in supporting its objectives. I would like to consider this matter further. I am positively disposed to including an amendment along these lines, and I am inclined to include an amendment on Report Stage. Again, I ask Deputy Matthews to withdraw this amendment.

Amendment No. 278 seeks to reduce the frequency of reporting by local authorities to regional assemblies on the implementation of relevant objectives from four to two years. Again, I have explained in relation to amendment No. 276 why I cannot accept amendment No. 278.