Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Ó Broin is being generous in stating that there is a blurring of the lines between the roles. There seems to be incredible overreach. That the Bill is changing the OPR from a regulator into something else altogether while still requiring it to carry out its regulatory functions is highly problematic. The amendment seeks to mitigate this somewhat. How can an office be the regulator and also have such a role in the formation of development plans, which is what section 51 entails? While we can discuss the section later, the amendment we are proposing is necessary to ensure there will at least be consultation with the elected members and prescribed bodies.