Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I know that. Also, there have been six or seven instances where the Minister has issued a directive to local authorities to amend their development plans. In a previous Oireachtas this happened. It was a blunt instrument in that the then Minister issued a directive out of the blue, without consultation. Now, following legislation introduced by the previous Government, there is a more discursive process. The Minister can issue his views and intentions and hear the views and submissions of others and, perhaps, revise his directive. There is an option for him to second guess the council members if he chooses and an option for the courts to second guess them. The Minister believes this is a narrow point of view with regard to procedures, but the people concerned can look more widely in considering whether the development plan is in accordance with regional plans and the national spatial strategy. I will not push the issue, but there is a little more to it than the simple point made. Perhaps somewhere down the road we might revisit it.

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