Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)

The Taoiseach will be busy between walking the dog and footing the turf. I wish to raise two items of secondary legislation with the Taoiseach. The first is a legislative item I raised with the Taoiseach in the Chamber a fortnight ago, that is, the introduction of a new statutory instrument in respect of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to remove the exemption from the requirement of planning permission for head shops. When will this item of secondary legislation be introduced? Second, the Government has drafted a statutory instrument under the Misuse of Drugs Act to ban quite a number of products that are on sale in head shops. The Taoiseach has informed the House that it will take three months for approval from the European Commission. In light of the fact that the three-month period has expired in the United Kingdom for the banning of similar substances that are to be banned here and in light of the European Commission's ability to give approval for the immediate-----

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