Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I shall speak to my amendments in this grouping. I made the point on Second Stage that I supported section 20. I accept the Minister's outline on Second Stage that the provision is necessary for the overall planning process but I have two concerns. First, I did not believe there were adequate opportunities for all relevant stakeholders, including all of the NGOs and members of the public, to engage in the screening process. I know that the groups that are not on the prescribed list by the Minister would have an opportunity to engage in the planning process post-screening and when a planning application is submitted. I believe there should be some mechanism to include the groups that were not on the Minister's prescribed list at the earlier stage.

I shall deal with a package of amendments as a whole. They range from Nos. 96 to 115 and are consistent with my amendments to an earlier chapter. The aim of the amendments is to provide greater levels of information flow, thus ensuring people have information at the earliest stage possible. I shall not talk to each of the amendments separately but I have outlined what I am trying to do. Is the Minister supportive of the intention behind what I am trying to do but not of my amendments? Is it something to which he could return, not on Report Stage but at a later legislative point? Unless he is open to such consideration, I shall press my amendments.