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

Yes. Sorry. I meant the Act. Section 34(9) reads:

Where, within the period of 8 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the planning authority of the application, the applicant for a permission under this section gives to the planning authority in writing his or her consent to the extension of the period for making a decision under subsection (8), the period for making the decision shall be extended for the period consented to by the applicant.

I want to get absolute clarity on that. That reads to me as though the applicant can go to the planning authority, but it looks to me as if the planning authority could tell the applicant it needs a bit more time. I want to get absolute clarity on that point for the committee. I do not have it now. I have never seen section 34(9) before; maybe others have. Normally, you work with the eight weeks. Typically, I have seen this in practice where an applicant looks for a voluntary extension of time. The normal process is that you go for eight weeks. The planning authority may come back and say it is going out with FI, and in many cases there might be a refusal. Typically, then, the applicant would look for a voluntary extension of time - two or three months - and in that period it may resolve. It may go from being an outright refusal to the provision of a bit more time. I want to get the committee a proper note on that.