Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

An example of two local authorities co-operating would be co-ordinating a development on zoning across two local authority boundaries. Reference is made to “specified matters”, which would obviously be on a case-by-case basis. Any matter specified by the Minister would be on a case-by-case basis. Anything general would be like the example I have given the Deputy of zoning across local authority boundaries. Regarding any dispute between the planning authorities arising from the question, if, for example, local authorities have a difference in interpretation of what the Minister is saying, he can step in and clarify his position on it. Regarding the High Court, that will be kept as a last resort. If a Minister asks a local authority to act and it refuses to do so, then he or she will has to have recourse to the High Court.