Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of this is not to restrict information. We have seen many applications go through a series of requests for additional information, clarification of additional information, further additional information and on and on. We want a better pre-application stage that takes an effective procedure from the strategic housing development process, which is a clear pre-application process. For argument's sake - we will publish the regulations this month - if a standard document or something like that is requested at pre-application stage that was not included in the planning application, it was not included and that is it. That would be an error if something has not been included in it.

What I have outlined is the areas we consider to be reasonable. We need to allow each local authority and planner to have some element of discretion or decision making around this, as they have already. Differently within this, we are setting statutory timelines around this. We will streamline situations whereby additional information or "further information", as we are calling it, is looked for to stop the situation where there is delay upon delay, which is caused by continual requests for further information. It should make the information at pre-application stage much better and clearer, if those matters are dealt with at that stage within a statutory timeframe. We will publish the regulations this month. They are being worked through. I assure members that the committee will be briefed on them because it is important. It is not to try to remove any rights from the local authorities. It is to try to improve the process, to be honest.