Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The main reason is that the development plan process is going out to a ten-year period. The RSES will be in effect for a period of more than ten years but not more than 20. There are longer time periods for plans. The time required to compile those review cycles is important. It gives a longer timespan to monitor and evaluate progress on the implementation of the strategies. That is not to say there are not also annual reporting procedures in place in the regional assemblies and with the development plans in the local authorities.

The two-year period was based on a shorter cycle. That is the basic premise of why it was pushed out to four years. It allows for sufficient and more time for the RSES monitoring process to carry out its work and to show progress on the various actions within the strategies.