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

I appreciate the differentiation in the local authority's involvement. There is still too much specification about what needs to happen for someone to apply for this. For example, there is a big space in Ballymun with the plaza and the Axis theatre. I have no doubt they could put out tables and chairs on the plaza and it would make things safer and there would be passive policing. These are all positive, but to do this, the parties involved need to put a notice in the newspaper, apply to the local authority and give a drawing of where they would put everything. The fees are specified in legislation but I know we are waiving them now. Overall, it is a level of central control that the Irish State is hooked on. I do not see why we should establish that type of both process and fee structure at a national level. I would like to see it at a local government level with protection for people with disabilities.

It is not what we are discussing today and I welcome the waiver because it gives us more time. Getting to a point where we look at this again, I would not like to see a national fee but rather a fee structure or the freedom for a fee structure allowing us to incentivise this work. In some cases it could be the council going to businesses and asking them to put out tables and chairs because it wants streets to be more animated. It may want more tables and chairs in an area that is difficult to police because it might add to passive policing. It may not be about businesses looking for profit but rather local authorities trying to animate the space.