Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 984 relates to section 279(2)(c) and putting public notices on a website. This section is on the procedure for making additions, deletions and amendments to the record of protected structures, and paragraph (c) reads: "cause notice of the proposed addition, deletion or amendment, including the particulars of the proposed addition, deletion or amendment, to be published in at least one newspaper circulating in its functional area." I suggest that it be published on the local authority website as well. Many people look online now instead of in circulating newspapers.

Amendment No. 985 is to page 470 and relates to section 280(6), which reads:

Where the planning authority decides, under subsection (3), that it has sufficient information to make a declaration under this section and the proposed works to which the declaration relate— (a) are reasonably necessary for,

...

(b) do not—

(i) materially affect the character of the exterior of the structure, or

(ii) divide the structure into more than one dwelling,

it shall make a declaration to [that] effect ...

I suggest that we replace "it" in the final line with "the planning authority conservation officer or suitably qualified person". As much as I like engineers, and we could not live without them, they are not always the best people to make a decision on a protected structure whereas a heritage officer or suitably qualified individual - I would leave it to the Minister to decide who is suitably qualified - would be.