Mr. Paul Hogan:

I will answer briefly in an effort to stick within the time limit. It is easy to stray over the limit. There is a difference in respect of being briefed on a planning application. Obviously, I am familiar with such briefings. I think the facility to which the Deputy referred related to all planning applications. It was not just in respect of large scale residential developments; it was larger applications and those identified by elected members. It is reasonable that members be briefed. The issue addressed in the circular to which the Deputy referred related to comments being made on the record and thereby prejudging the decision of the executive. I think that was the issue. If there is some sort of in-between situation at which we could arrive, that might be useful. The issue relates to comments being recorded in the minutes.

As regards a "use it or lose it" clause, that is incredibly difficult to legislate for. When the State goes to the trouble of awarding a planning application that ultimately is considered acceptable and it wants to be developed, curtailing that application at a certain point when there may be issues that have nothing to do with planning, such as those relating to finance, land ownership or whatever it might be, and going back to square one is counterproductive, particularly in respect of something like housing, of which we wish to see more. It is incredibly difficult to legislate for that through the regulatory planning application process, but there are other means of doing so. Taxation is a very important way of influencing behaviour with regard to economic activity. That is where we are at in that regard.