Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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300. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if concerns were raised by the EU Commission in respect of Part 9 of the Draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 in any engagement of his Department with the EU Commission, DG ENVI, following the publication in January of the Bill, including on sections 249 and 250, in any meetings held to date and in any associated minutes and related correspondence; if so, the concerns expressed; if he will share the minutes and correspondence in relation to same; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18928/23]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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313. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if, in any engagement between the Department and the EU Commission or the Directorate-General for Environment, concerns were raised by the Commission in respect of Part 9 of the Draft Planning and Development Bill 2022, including on sections 249 and 250, including in any meetings held to date or in any associated minutes or related correspondence; if so, the nature of those concerns; if copies of related minutes and correspondence will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19043/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 313 together.

My Department has been proactively engaged with a wide range of stakeholders throughout the process of review and consolidation of the Planning and Development Act (2000), the project which has been led by the Office of the Attorney General. The Review is ongoing further to publication of the draft Planning and Development Bill 2022 in January of this year.

This engagement has included two meetings with the European Commission at which my Department updated on progress being made to the Bill. This encompassed but was not limited to the proposed changes outlined in Part 9 of the draft Bill which pertain to Judicial Review. My Department continues to work closely with the Office of the Attorney General to prepare the final Bill for publication and will continue to engage with the European Commission. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage has undertaken a significant pre-legislative scrutiny process on the draft Bill since its publication. I expect to receive their report shortly and will fully consider its recommendations, along with submissions on the Bill received from stakeholders, when preparing the final Bill.