Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I take on board the Deputy's comments. I cannot comment on an individual application, as she will appreciate, although I accept that there is a need to bring in the guidelines very quickly and that there is a need for clarity. I am well aware of the volume of applications across the country and these guidelines are necessary. It is one of the largest projects in terms of guidelines that our Department has ever undertaken, given the volume of submissions. I would also stress that it is quite technical. We cannot approach it in a one-size-fits-all manner. To facilitate good planning, we must ensure that the guidelines reflect all necessary variables and that they reflect all the issues across the country from a planning perspective. I stress again that the technical appendices to the guidelines will also be quite thorough.

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