Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am disappointed with the Minister of State's response on this. The reality is that a Minister of the day could issue a directive to local authorities that they can no longer have one-off rural homes because of the impact that they have on our climate and emissions profile in respect of transport, in particular. Each local authority would have to comply with that. If the Minister made such a directive under planning regulations, that would then have to be presented to the Dáil. The Minister could, however, make the exact same regulation into a directive in the application of this legislation but because it is under the word "climate" then such a regulation does not have to be presented to the Dáil. It is not right that the Minister has such broad, sweeping powers that he or she can issue a directive to a local authority or authorities. They have to comply with it without any oversight of such a directive by the parliamentary system. I ask the Minister of State to reconsider his view on this particular amendment.