Mr. Dave Walsh:

Certainly, with the single-track process of the SHD, while there is extensive participation in the process, both council and public, as the Deputy identified, the main difference is that people do not have an opportunity, at local or appeal stage, to raise their concerns. In many cases, the judicial review process could be seen to be the normal appeal process where an SHD has been granted. In the context of the overall numbers since the SHD process was commissioned and began in 2017, the board has made around 280 decisions and I think about 54 of those have been judicially reviewed. About one sixth of the decisions taken, therefore, have been challenged in the courts. While I acknowledge the Deputy's comments regarding the policy, the board is tasked, through the legislation, with dealing with these cases directly. Before SHD arrived, major appeals for housing developments would come to us and some of those would be challenged in the courts-----