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

My concern with these, particularly the move away from substantial works to commencement, is that in trying to create certainty, and I appreciate that it is a case of who gets to decide what is and is not substantial, the Minister has gone too far on the other end to the extent that getting a commencement notice does not require any work to have been started. The applicant has been given permission to get the works. Even if someone gets a commencement notice, a very minimal amount of work, which could be very basic site servicing or clearing of a site, could satisfy the test if it is the securing of the commencement notice. The difficulty relates to somebody with a permission for five years who has done nothing more than obtained a commencement notice and done the most minimal amount of site works. Surely there should be a higher threshold or test as to why he or she should be able to get an extension. I am not looking to punish somebody who, for a very good reason, has not been able to commence. There could be financial difficulties or economic circumstances but it seems the Minister has lowered the bar quite significantly. I am looking for the Minister of State to convince me that I am wrong.