Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 169:

In page 63, line 8, after “subject to” to insert the following: “a screening assessment and if necessary a strategic environmental assessment or an appropriate assessment, or both, as the case may be, in accordance with”.

I will move amendments Nos. 169, 295, 300, 518, 524, 571 and 579. These amendments relate to strategic environmental assessment, SEA, and appropriate assessments, AA, in the plan-making process.

Amendment No.169 expands the language in section 21(3) in relation to the requirements for conducting an SEA or AA of the national planning framework. Instead of just saying that the NPF is subject to the SEA directive and habitats directive, it clarifies that the national planning framework shall be subject to a screening assessment and, if necessary, a strategic environmental assessment or an appropriate assessment, or both, as the case may be, and such shall be carried out. The amendment does not alter the requirement that the NPF is subject to the SEA directive and habitats directive but clarifies that as part of these directives, the first step is to conduct a screening assessment and then, if required, the SEA or AA is undertaken.

Amendments Nos. 295, 300, 518, 524, 571 and 579 insert a regulation making provision in each of these sections relating to draft directions and directions of plans to provide that the Minister may prescribe a period or periods that shall be disregarded for the purpose of reckoning any period referenced in those sections. The purpose of this regulation-making power would be to allow the Minister to prescribe that, in cases where a draft direction or direction for a plan requires either SEA or AA, the period for carrying out those assessments would be disregarded in determining compliance with time periods set out for issuing such directions. Not all directions will require an SEA or AA, however, and the time taken to carry out an SEA or AA for the ones that do could vary greatly. Therefore, instead of building an extended period into the direction procedures to allow for possible assessments, it is better and more efficient to disregard these periods from time period calculations.