Mr. Terry Sheridan:

We are considering numerous Committee Stage amendments to enhance the existing Planning Acts and that is something we can address. We can bring forward Committee Stage amendments to address existing deficiencies. We are open to that.

However, it will be in the context of the No. 2 Bill rather than the Bill we are discussing today.

On the issue of whether one-off houses will be subjected to the possibility of reduced planning permission durations, it is intended that this will be applied to developments of ten or more houses, with a view to facilitating and incentivising the earlier development of housing schemes rather than one-off houses.