Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Would it be of use if I responded to that by way of a briefing note?

Deputy Thomas Gould:Yes.

I have another question; in fact, I have pages of questions. Amendments Nos. 320 and 321 should really have been taken together as they concern exemptions from the normal requirements under the 2021 Act in respect of cable infrastructure. What is the rationale for this? It is confusing as a briefing note refers to where applicants have engaged in preplanning consultation with An Bord Pleanála on or before 1 October 2022. However, the actual amendment refers to leases or licences granted on or before 1 October 2022. The Chair has said the Minister of State is going to send a briefing note.

Given that what I have described allows for a window in which to find a new operator, is it not clear where liability will arise in respect of issues and damage that may arise in the interim. Can the Department elaborate on how such issues will be managed and by whom? I am referring to amendments Nos. 322 and 323. I would certainly appreciate a briefing note.

In our consideration of the Bill, we have been discussing the Foreshore Act 1933, the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021, and we have also been discussing the Government's amendments to the Lough Corrib Navigation Act 1945 and briefing notes for amendments on the Valuation Act 2001. We have discussed the local government legislation of 2022 and the Local Government Rates and Other Matters Act 2019. This is no way to be doing business. All these issues are really important. For this reason, Sinn Féin has co-operated with the Chair and the Minister of State today. We are not opposing the amendments and realise that very important work needs to be done but we have major concerns and questions that we would like to have been addressed. I am disappointed with how we are doing things here today; however, we are not going to be obstructive or attempt to hold up the legislation. We are here for well over three hours at this stage and are trying to be as constructive as we can while also trying to get information from the Minister of State and the Department.