John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Kelly and Mr. Lemass. I do not want to rehash the debate from the Seanad on the public participation element, but it certainly is my belief that this Bill does not prevent in-person meetings. I see it as an addition to a pre-draft of the plan. In Waterford we had a very successful online consultation process as part of the pre-draft development plan, with 298 submissions. They engaged in webinars and videos. Importantly, they also offered the opportunity for in-person one-to-one meetings. It was not a case of either-or. I believe that local authorities would not use either-or. To engage our younger people in the planning process we do need to move with the times with technology, while also appreciating and recognising those people who are not tech savvy.

I will now turn to the last part of the briefing on the residential tenancy amendments.

I would like to tease out the implications of counterdeclaration on the part of the landlord. I appreciate that a balance must be struck between a tenant's rights and a landlord's rights. Who makes the determination, when is it determined and what happens in the intervening period? Under the previous legislation, the tenant was immediately protected when a declaration was made. Is the tenant still protected pending a counterdeclaration on the part of the landlord?