Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What is of national importance is obviously a matter for debate. Government will argue it has a democratic mandate to make a call on something that is of national importance. We are now asking the commission to make a decision on something where it is determining that the thing is of national importance. Question one is how the commission is expected to do that. It seems to me something quite new though I could be wrong and it might exist already.

This is about permitting developments that are in material contravention of certain plans. The Minister and I discussed the process with the planning authority and talked about public participation, resolution to the elected members and submissions. The same process does not seem to apply here.