Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

If it were brought before the committee, we could look at the rationale, the reasoning and what is proposed to be achieved. The committee could have oversight of it. We would not vote on it or pass it, but just oversee it as we do with some of the regulations.

Local area plans are to be replaced by priority urban and joint area plans. I am not entirely clear on whether the Local Government Act sets out that local area plans are to be developed by the municipal district members or the full council. We do have any detail on what these new plans will involve. I am hoping that will answer the question as to how we can bring more involvement at the plan-making stage than at the application stage. When will we see the detail of what exactly those plans will involve and who will approve them? It is a bit ambiguous in this in that it says committee, council. I do not know if it refers to strategic policy committees, but I think it should be open to all the members of a locality to pass a local area plan. I would like to see that transposed into these plans as well.