Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 33:

In page 9, to delete lines 16 to 20 and substitute the following: “ “(1B) Where a planning authority receives an application for permission to which section 32A(1) applies it shall—

(a) notify the elected members of the planning authority of the making of the application, of where the application is available for inspection, and of such other information as may be prescribed, and

(b) present to the relevant elected members the details of the application at a meeting.”.”.

This amendment is grouped with that of Deputy Nash because it is similar but has a significant difference. It was raised with the Minister in the Seanad as well. One of the few benefits of the SHD process was the presentation councillors received detailing the application process. As part of that, their views were composited in a report submitted alongside the report of the manager. Many councillors felt it was one of the few benefits of the SHD process. I appreciate the new process does not allow that sort of combined submission by members of the local authority but that presentation was incredibly useful for local councillors.

In Dublin City Council, even in advance of SHD presentations, a presentation was made at the area committee meeting on significant planning applications. I had not realised that was unique in that this process did not exist in other local authorities around the country. The proposal made in the Seanad and by Deputy Nash today, which fell, was that this would happen at area committee meetings. I agree with the Minister’s concern that it could inadvertently delay the LSRD application. Since this is not my intention, my amendment does not specify that the information should be presented at an area committee meeting or municipal district meeting but, rather, at a meeting. It could be an online meeting or a physical meeting that is already scheduled. I ask the Minister to consider the amendment. It is important that local councillors be briefed by their councils on applications for developments of the scale in question. It would benefit local democracy.