Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I support the amendment moved by Deputy Matthews. As Deputy Ó Broin said, the national planning framework should be adopted by a resolution of the Dáil. It should go to a vote and it should be debated. Good laws come from debate, discussion and votes. Even if we were to have the best Minister, this process supersedes the right of the Oireachtas to set these laws. The opposite perspective is one where we would have a bad, weak or poor Minister. God help us then when it comes to the national planning framework.

Deputy Ó Broin asked the question of how this can be justified. I think the amendment from Deputy Matthews should be accepted. We have an opportunity now in this legislation to correct something that was in place anyway. To be honest, I am no big supporter of Alan Kelly, but if this should have happened, this is an opportunity for the Minister of State to correct the action of a previous Government in going around rules and regulations that were there. I hope to hear the comments of the Minister of State in this regard and I also hope he will accept the amendment.