Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It must be borne in mind that in the directive, a period of nine months is specifically set out. That will be the target timeframe. On the matter of Oireachtas approval, I note that the formal notification letter to the Council and the Commission will be sent immediately after the Oireachtas makes its decision, if, indeed, it does. The four-month compliance procedure will then commence. If the notification letter is sent at the beginning of February, we can expect our participation under the directive to commence towards May with formal entry into force in early June. I assure the committee that this will be an intensive piece of work with the Commission to ensure we demonstrate that we are compliant with all of the articles of the directive.