Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I join other committee members in thanking the Department for the work it is doing. This draft Bill is huge and complex. The Department is trying to cover so much. The various contributions that have been made to the committee over recent weeks reflect the scale of the work contained in the draft Bill. We all want to ensure the legislation is done right. It is probably a once-in-a-generation opportunity when it comes to planning. As Deputy Ó Broin said, we are not here to criticise the officials. We know they are doing their best. We just want to ensure this will be the best Bill we can deliver.

My first question relates to residents’ associations. Were they represented on the planning advisory forum? Could any formal advice or recommendations resulting from the forum be published?