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

The Deputy gave the example of Ferrybank in Waterford. I was a member of the local authority when those debates, discussions and disagreements were ongoing. The local area plan for Ferrybank was drawn up in partnership between two local authorities and it worked very well. The collaboration at area office level between Waterford City and County Council and Kilkenny County Council is good. The dispute in that instance was over a boundary issue and a potential extension of the Waterford city boundary, with which elected members of Kilkenny County Council took issue. It was one of those cases. We are talking about dealing with issues on a case-by-case basis. Generally, they would be agreed at regional assembly level by resolution passed at both assemblies and possibly also involving the local authority or authorities.

On the point the Deputy is raising in respect of subsection 10(e) and the numbers from each planning authority, my understanding is there would be no voting at such committees. Is he suggesting there would be a weighting of one of the authorities on the basis that it has a higher number of elected members versus the other authority with fewer elected members? Is that correct?