Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Cian O’Callaghan's amendment proposes to delete the requirement in section 258(2)(c) that environmental NGOs, who enjoy privileged status and rights of appeal within the Irish system, must have at least ten members. This criteria and others in section 258, such as the requirement to have existed for at least one year prior to the taking of judicial review, guard the system from misuse by those that could establish an organisation solely for the purpose of taking judicial review applications and enjoying the status and privileges rightfully belonging to legitimate environmental NGOs, who play a very important role within the planning system and whose rights are enshrined and protected within this Bill. That is the reason I oppose amendment No. 965.