Dr. Se?n O'Leary:

If I can come in at this point, an example of an improvement which we would suggest is possible is when a local authority is proposing a candidate UDZ. What it is required to submit to the Minister does not include, in as far as it is available, some information on land ownership details because fragmented landownership can be an issue in activating a SDZ currently. That may not all be publicly available but whatever information in that regard is available to the local authority should probably be included in making the candidate application to the Minister.

Another issue that perhaps could be teased out is the role or otherwise of the Office of the Planning Regulator, OPR, in assessing the suitability or otherwise of candidate UDZs. If it is coming from the development plan, the OPR would probably have been involved. Again, the role or otherwise of the OPR throughout the Bill could, we suggest, be articulated more clearly.