Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Improper or immoral is not the meaning behind this provision in the Bill. The wording is "necessary or expedient". Section 4(2) states, "Regulations under this Act ... may contain such incidental, supplementary and consequential provisions as appear to the Minister to be necessary or expedient". Expedient in this sense means quicker, where it is required. It does not mean those regulations could be construed as improper or immoral. It also means they are suitable to the circumstances as appropriate. There are checks and balances. There is no doubt the dictionary meaning the Deputies are putting forward is absolutely not the intention behind this.

On getting rid of Oireachtas approval of regulations that are operational and procedural, they still have to be laid before the Oireachtas. The Bill is keeping exempted development regulations as there are significant declaring works that are not developments. On what the Deputies said about the meaning of the word "expedient", it is certainly not the case that the Bill supports that meaning. The meaning of "necessary or expedient" in the Bill is quicker for the purposes of the regulations. I hope that clarifies it. That is our position on it.