Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 5, to delete lines 16 and 17 and substitute the following: "(2) Part 3and the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2018 may be cited together as the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2019 and shall be construed together as one.".

First, I will quickly comment, if I may, on the number of proposed amendments which I am bringing forward. I acknowledge at the outset that on the face of it, this might be a matter of concern for a few members. I assure the committee that nearly all of these are of a technical nature reflecting the advice of the legal drafters in the Attorney General's office.

There are a small number of meaningful changes which reflect proposals made by some Deputies in the room today for which I am grateful, and which we will come to and discuss. There are consequential technical amendments related to these.

Finally, I am tabling a small number of amendments to improve the Bill, specifically to clarify and strengthen the appeals process. I will explain these. There are also consequential technical amendments associated with these.

Overall, however, I am sticking closely to the Bill as published on substantive matters. I have to do this as it is bound by EU regulation.

Amendment No. 1 is a technical amendment to the collective citation for the Planning Acts to refer to the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2019, rather than 2018. As a general introductory point, the committee will have recognised that the approach to noise regulation process, public consultation, decision-making, publishing information, appeals etc. mirrors, where appropriate, the established and prudent practices which exist in normal planning. People are familiar with it and it is tried and tested.