Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We raised this issue following the briefings with departmental officials and there was a gap in the original draft. Previously, the planning authority could decide not to refer an issue to the competent authority and there was no facility for residents or anybody else to say they did not agree with it. If the Minister is saying that the primary decision is now with the competent authority and that the issue must go to it first, as it will decide whether there is a noise-related aspect to any planning application, that is what my amendment seeks to achieve. If the Minister's amendment is doing that, it is a case of happy days. We wanted to ensure this matter was not left at the discretion of the planning authority.