Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

Deputies Cuffe and Burton seem to be labouring under a misapprehension in this regard. Under section 86 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, prisons are already exempt from normal planning procedures. Rather than circumventing planning procedures, the Tánaiste is introducing them and providing in this Bill for a specific planning regime for largescale prison developments that will include a public consultation process and approval by both Houses of the Oireachtas.

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