Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 634 relates to page 205 of the Bill. This concerns pre-application consultation on large-scale residential development, LRD. Section 87(8)(c) reads a planning authority "may advise the prospective applicant of the considerations related ... to the environment". It is all about that discussion we had earlier. If we were to add "greenhouse gas emissions" to that, the prospective applicant could be advised. Although it is not measurable, and we have had the discussion that it is very difficult to do that, I do not think it is any harm to advise an applicant they should consider greenhouse gases rather than just the environment. It could be argued that it is governed under the environment and sustainable development, etc., but it focuses the mind and there is no harm in being able to advise. It is non-binding, obviously.

Amendment No. 661 relates to page 216 of the Bill. It concerns applications for permission in material contravention of the development plan or the national marine planning framework. This is one I thought about for a while. I do not like to see permissions that are materially contravening planning because planning goes through a very long process and it is set out. However, if it is in furtherance of our climate objective, which has to be the imperative, and may not have been included in the development plan or may not have been considered at the time the plan was being drafted, amendment No. 661, which I have submitted, which I think is a new section-----