Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I should have gone further down. Section 490(4)(h) states, "following of best practice to be adopted in relation to the functions of the Office including the procedures for the provision of observations ... in accordance with this Act in relation to the preparation, making and revision of regional spatial [plans] ..." I agree with the Deputy’s core point. At the end of the day, that is ultimately the professional judgment of the OPR. The OPR will make a recommendation to the Minister and the Minister then has a decision to make. That is what we are elected to do and that is why we are in that position. We obviously take advice from the officials, who are the professionals. Ultimately, the Minister, whomever that is, has to make a decision based on all the evidence available to them. That is what we have in a democracy. We have the various sequences to get to a point where at every level there are professionals involved and there are democratically elected members. It is the same with the regional assemblies and our good selves here in the Houses of the Oireachtas. This code of conduct covers everything. The core point the Deputy is making ultimately comes down to the OPR making a recommendation to the Minister, whomever that is at that moment in time. The Minister then has to make a decision based on the advice of the OPR and interacting with their officials in the Department. Ultimately, it needs to be gone through it in great depth and one has to then make a decision. That is what the role entails.