Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am a signatory to this amendment as well. I find it both odd and inconsistent that we have those one would expect to be included in a public consultation like members of the Oireachtas, regional assemblies, local authorities, the Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority but then the section also includes members of the public. Why not include "prescribed bodies"? Why not consult with bodies like An Taisce and the Arts Council? I do not have the full list but why not consult with bodies that would have a remit which would add to the expertise necessary to identify the key things the Minister needs in setting out the planning framework? It is an odd omission in the middle. I honestly do not know why the Minister would not want to include them. The Minister might say that he does that anyway, and he might well do, but somebody else might not. He is probably about to say that he does that anyway-----