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

I move amendment No. 92:

In page 29, to delete lines 24 to 38 and substitute the following: “(4) The Minister may by regulations specify requirements relating to any of the following:

(a) appropriate time periods for public consultation, where—

(i) such time periods when calculated shall not include excluded time periods, and

(ii) shall be generously specified to provide adequate time for the public and relevant authorities and prescribed bodies to plan and prepare so they can participate effectively;

(b) arrangements for the publication of notices relating to relevant documents where such requirements include—

(i) online notification systems including Government websites, and

(ii) more traditional methods including newspaper notices in both national and regional newspapers, given the need to provide for equal access and opportunities to participate in areas and amongst demographies where digital access may present barriers, and to reach the public on matters of concern and interest to the public at large;

(c) the contents of notices, including the following:

(i) public consultation timeframes, including periods during which submissions may be made;

(ii) information on how submissions received will be acknowledged, considered and published;

(iii) information on the proposed methods of public participation;

(iv) the fact that there is no charge to make an observation or submission;

(v) where the relevant information can be found online, and where it can additionally be inspected, and that there is no charge for access to either;

(d) specific additional arrangements (including, if the Minister considers it appropriate to do so in the interests of clarity, separate sets of regulations made under this section) in relation to MSPs that fall within section 16(3)(a), (b) or (c), and of consistent standard to paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (3).”.