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

I have two related questions. We received documentation from a number of the public utilities – Gas Networks Ireland, Uisce Éireann, ESB and the Dublin Airport Authority. I am not saying this is correct but just to give the Minister a sense of it, to expand on Deputy McAuliffe’s point and to say it was not just Uisce Éireann, although he is absolutely right in that, they welcomed statutory timelines at the board level. They expressed concern they might gain some time at the board level but might lose some time at this juncture. When they spoke to some of us, I do not think it was even that they had a definitive view that was definitely the case, rather a question or a lack of clarity of how this would work. That is probably the best way to put it. Therefore, I support Deputy McAuliffe’s request for further information from the Minister.

From memory, we had a discussion on a set of amendments related to this which raised the question of where the planning authority requests the extra time, where that time is consented to and the impact on the ability of the planning authority to subsequently seek further information that may become relevant. This might be a useful time for the Minister to clarify that point. What, if any, are the consequences of the requesting and granting of additional time under this section for the ability of the planning authority to seek further information on foot of that? Are the implications of this the same as the sections we discussed with the amendments previously on whichever one of the many days we have been in here dealing with the Bill?