Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the point that it may not be relevant to certain bodies, as the Minister of State is aware, usually the way it works with prescribed bodies is that they are given the opportunity to formally input. They often decide an issue is not relevant to them and they skip over it, or sometimes they decide that it is relevant. It is a very safe system in that sense, in that none of the prescribed bodies that may have a view misses out on the opportunity to give it. Prescribed bodies are given lots of opportunities, but they only have so many resources and they must prioritise when something arises. I would caution against assuming that a body should have no role or say. It works better if the organisations make the decision in terms of their own priorities and resources as to whether they have an interest or not. I accept that the further out we go, the less relevant it will be to some of the bodies whose main interests are closer to shore, but I would be cautious about taking too fixed a position.