Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will keep to my time. I thank the witnesses for coming and taking the time to make the written submissions, especially in such a short period.

I appreciate that the existing by-laws are old and must be changed and updated. I understand from talking to some people that many aspects of the by-laws are less controversial than others. I will make a few comments about the public consultation and then ask a few questions of both groups.

We spend a lot of time in this committee talking about consultations for planning, development plans, the national planning framework and so on. One hundred and eight days is a short period for a consultation. It is three and a half months. It also took place during the summer. For those who work providing tourism services, for example, along the River Shannon and on the canals, it is peak season. They are busy so getting the time to be able to make submissions is genuinely challenging. Many people were on holidays and then they had the responsibility of getting children back to school. It is a short period, irrespective of what one thinks of the substantive issues. Given that the existing by-laws are 30 years old and that it is important we get this right in the interests of the proper management of the Shannon and canals and of supporting the people who are working and enjoying those important public amenities, is Waterways Ireland open not only to a short extension but some consideration of elongating and adding to the public consultation so that all those organisations and individuals who do not feel that what has been provided to date is adequate could get properly involved? Is that something it would be open to considering, if, for example, on consideration of the evidence, this committee were to ask it to do so?