Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)

I refer to Deputy O'Dowd's amendment No. 18. I do not dispute the point made by the Minister of State. If it is the case that it must come under the Seventh Schedule, what is the need for writing this if it already comes under the Seventh Schedule? Will the Minister of State state the reason he is stating the obvious?

There is significant concern that local power will be taken away. It is accepted by everyone that critical infrastructure needs to be fast tracked. We are all aware of the numerous delays in the planning and legal process. It must be ensured that not every project will be included in these categories but it seems every project under the sun will fall under some of the categories in one way or another and can then be fast tracked. The right balance must be achieved. We must ensure local people have their say and that they are heeded. Provision must be made for health and safety expertise within the planning process. Local authorities must be allowed take the health implications of a project into consideration. The legislation must be amended to address this issue.

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