Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Subsection (3) refers to a class of infrastructure or other development. Is this urgent direction that the Minister can issue in these circumstances both to potentially prevent a certain type of development from taking place and also to ensure a certain type of development does take place? Could the Minister issue a direction to vary a development plan to build a motorway because that has regional or strategic implications? How wide-ranging is this power? What are the limits on it? The limits are not very well defined. Could this be quite a sweeping power that the Minister could exercise without Oireachtas approval, overriding the local democratic process? He or she has to consult the OPR but that is all he has to do. He or she does not have to take on board the OPR's view on this. How far could he or she go in using this? Is it just to prevent things or to ensure some form of development happens?