Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That question was triggered by the lack of publication of a declaration and seems to me to be a lack of transparency where there should be transparency, and what that would give rise to in that context. I appreciate Mr. Lawlor’s other point in respect of “character” and it is more a question of defining that. My next question goes to that point.

Where an area is zoned for community use and an argument is then made that an exemption to the zoning, or a permissible exemption within that zoning should be allowed, to allow residential development, does Mr. Lawlor believe that the threshold is clear enough and, if it is not, what should we be doing, and does this planning Bill address that? If it is, then at what stage should that be considered? I am aware of a couple of developments where people went to the local authority, the local authority seemed to ignore that aspect and then An Bord Pleanála would turn it down on the basis of it not meeting the threshold of deserving and meriting that extension. I am wondering about that process, please.