Mr. Robert Watt:

To add to what Mr. Tierney has said, we criticise the rules because we find them frustrating, they cause delays when we just want to get things done but they are there for a reason. It is very easy to criticise our colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform - which I would not do, of course - but the rules are there for a reason, which is to try to avoid some of the mistakes we made in the past. They are a genuine attempt to have the necessary assurances in place. I was involved in drafting some of these rules and the intent was to provide reassurance. The question is whether we have got the balance right. That is where the debate is and it is very much a judgment call.

There are also issues around planning. Members of this committee and others would know more about that than I would but the planning system is a challenge for everyone. We have to work with stakeholders. The stakeholder piece, in particular, is very difficult. We have to manage the stakeholders who have rights that they can enforce but as a system, we need to continue to do better at delivering.