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

It is not obvious and, as Deputy Boyd Barrett said, to be compliant with that could mean an email or a letter to every Member of the Oireachtas to say “This is happening if you want to submit any views.” While there is a use to that, it is very different from a structured approach or engagement with the Oireachtas committees. Members of Oireachtas are inundated with different emails, consultation processes, submissions and all the rest, and we would probably get very little input from that compared to a structured engagement with joint Oireachtas committees. The benefit of a structured engagement with joint Oireachtas committees is that it is collective, there is discussion, it is considered and it is not just what somebody is doing individually from their own perspective under the pressure of time. It should be explicit. If section 21(2)(a) stated “Members of the Oireachtas and joint Oireachtas committees”, it might be a way of addressing that issue.

The final part of the amendment reads: “The Government shall include a statement within any draft revision or new National Planning Framework of why the information was considered appropriate for the purposes of the review.” That is also a good suggestion. The phrase “considered appropriate” is very broad and flexible so if that power is being given to the Government, it is just to have an explanation as to why something was considered appropriate. The insight from that and the transparency around it would be useful.