Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I made it clear if the Deputy followed the point I made. During the Committee Stage discussions, Deputy Gilmore raised a concern and wanted to delete the word "shall" which he said was inflexible and substitute the words "may be required to". The general tenor of the discussion on Committee Stage was that it would be wise to try to introduce a more flexible arrangement.

To answer Deputy McCormack's specific question, section 4(2) provides for the specification of a deadline but it gives councils the reserve power to set a deadline when the local authority considers it necessary in the particular circumstances of the case. The words used are "may specify" a deadline instead of the previous mandatory requirement which stated "shall specify". The idea is to give the flexibility which members of the Opposition, who raised this issue, sought.

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