Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their attendance. This is a really important process about the provision of overarching policy at the top of the hierarchy. I want to know about the public consultation, which is very important. Public consultation needs to be facilitated and supported. It needs to be advertised and mobilised in a way that is user friendly and that reaches out across the country and engages people. The proposal is that it happens from 10 July to 12 September, which is a big holiday period, as well. We also will have opportunities to enter into the public consultation process. I would like to hear in some detail about the plan in terms of outreach to our communities and engaging with people. In some local authorities we have thousands of people engaging with a county development plan process. I know how to do it but I would like to know how the witnesses are planning to do it. How will the Department connect with people on the ground in communities to show that this is relevant to them? I would like some reassurances on the meaningful way of engaging people with public consultation, also through the planning authorities, local authorities and other local and State agencies. That is critically important. There are many forms and mediums of contacting people but the witnesses might just touch on that. That is the only question I have today.