Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to return to the suggestion that it is an either-or situation.

I echo the point that we have to follow the science. There are already huge provisions in the Bill that acknowledge the range of perspectives and voices that have to be heard. This is built into it. What is very important is the process by which we come to agree the budgets and various elements of the plan, whose voices are heard and how we make these decisions. What we are speaking about here is how we agree the budgets, the strategies and the role of the Oireachtas with regard to it. After this, it is entirely appropriate that there is leave to use the courts to ensure these roads are being followed and the plans are being implemented. I do not accept that we should write the Oireachtas out of this piece in terms of its role for oversight, scrutiny and approval. The Government's approach is completely unnecessary because there will be very limited circumstances and the situation might never arise. I do not believe it should be there in the first place.