Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Good afternoon, everybody. You are very welcome back to the Select Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, where we continue Committee Stage of the Planning and Development Bill 2023. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to the committee to continue our deliberations on this important legislation.

I just want to comment that yesterday evening, we lost a full hour in the committee because votes were being called fully in the knowledge that members were not present to take those votes. It really delayed us. We lost about an hour which we should have been spending discussing amendments, notwithstanding any member's right to seek a roll-call. I have said at many of the openings that we need to consider that it is hard to get these committee rooms and I think the time is better spent discussing the amendments rather than sitting here, waiting, fully in the knowledge that members are not present. I wish members would turn up for votes. It would really help us with the process. I ask members to reflect on whether it is good for the legislative and parliamentary process and if it is respectful to the people who turn up to have those delays. I ask members to consider that.