Ms Alma Walsh:

To come in on that particular question, there are two issues involved. Section 28(1) of the Planning and Development Regulations allows for any local authority to refer a planning application onward with regard to the impact on the linguistic heritage of the Gaeltacht area, as Dr. Mac Cormaic has said. In practical terms, every single planning application could be referred. The reason for the divergence might be found within the development plan policy in which linguistic impact statements and language assessments are not required for every single type of development. In fact, they only apply to developments comprising a minimum of three units. In that case, not every single application for a rural house would be referred to the údarás as one of the referral bodies. Again, the údarás is also listed as a prescribed body in the regulations and so would receive all the material in respect of a development plan review or local area plan review. With regard to the planning application system and daily run-of-the-mill planning business, such referrals are made at the discretion of the local authorities, which would normally rely upon their policies.