Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I have a question for the Department. We brought in the planning exemptions with limitations whereby people no longer need planning permission to convert a former commercial building to residential use. There is the process of fire certification, accessibility certification and notification to the local authority, and, in some cases, conservation certification. Has there been any thought on how to try to streamline that process or even to get those two processes concerning accessibility and the fire certificate to run in tandem so it can be done quickly? In our experience on the committee, we have heard evidence that these are all separate hoops that people have to jump through. I am conscious that people do not have to do planning anymore but they still have to go through them. There was talk of a one-stop shop where people could go in with all of their drawings. Is there any progress on that? I know we are reviewing Part B at the moment.