Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 10:

In page 17, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “ “excluded consultation periods” means that the following days are not included in the counting of any public consultation provided for under this Act or required by any action or decision taken under this Act where they fall within the public consultation period proposed:

(a) public holidays or bank holidays in the State;

(b) the period between the 24 December in any year and the 2 January the following year inclusive;

(c) the first two weeks of August;

(d) such other additional dates which the Minister may prescribe in a public participation statement or in regulations made under this Act;”.

This pretty self-explanatory amendment seeks to create legal clarity by providing that when there is a public consultation period for planning purposes or other purposes, certain days under law are clearly excluded. It lists various days such as public holidays, the period between 24 December and 2 January, the first two weeks in August and any other period that the Minister may prescribe. Consultation periods can be tricky, particularly with more complex types of consents or grants of planning permission under the framework created by this legislation. People are going to need the maximum period of time. This is, therefore, a very reasonable amendment. If there is a better way to draft it, I will be more than happy to withdraw it. The Minister of State might want to go away and come back with a better wording on Report Stage. He can see the intention of the amendment.