Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the environmental impact assessment, EIA, and the appropriate assessment, AA, I want to tease out the question of the fast-track planning process to ensure we are not here next year saying we missed out on some aspects. Dr. Kelly said that if a proposed site appears to have gone through the county development process, an AA has probably been carried out on that proposed site. Is she saying that will be adequate? The heads of the Bill provide for an eight-week window. I do not know whether that eight-week window is to give time to An Bord Pleanála to decide on whether an AA or an EIA is needed. I seek clarity on that.

Also, must the decision of the local authority be made at the pre-planning stage before it goes to the board rather than it being left with no timeframe on it? I would be concerned about that. I never thought of the long-term consequences in terms of An Bord Pleanála making the decision as to who will enforce this, who will control the development contributions and the number of times a site will be inspected. If all that falls back on the local authority, they will need some finances to fund it.