Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On the previous three amendments, I find it hard to accept that it is just because a development plan will go from six-year period to a ten-year period. It will incorporate more objectives and it will have a greater reach and actions within it. That does not mean that you should monitor it less, just because it is over a longer period. The reasoning is, therefore, to go from a two-year period to a four-year period, just because the length of the development plan is extended and not because of the number of actions or inactions that may happen within a development plan in that process.

Given the fact that we are going to a ten-year plan, it is more important than ever to have monitoring. I know there is an interim review. Yet, that is an even longer period than the process we have at the moment, because that review will be started after the fourth year. Looking back at the planning system over the last 20, 30 or 40 years, if we had had better monitoring in place, I do not think we would be in many of the positions we are in at the moment. I, therefore, find it hard to accept that, but I welcome the Minister of State's response on amendment No. 277.

I will speak to amendment No. 279 now.