Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will try to be brief. I will address amendments Nos. 4, 6, 7, 15 and 56. Despite the spirit of the conversation and the support of everyone here, we cannot accept the amendments as they have been put forward, but I would agree with all the arguments that have been made and the logic behind them. The amendments proposed by Deputies Cowen and Casey regarding the oversight and assessment of strategic transport plans by the Office of the Planning Regulator, OPR, are extensive and cannot be accepted as they are currently drafted, particularly as they encroach on areas within the remit of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. There are also a number of technical drafting issues within the amendments proposed.

We do agree that there might be a role for the OPR in respect of strategic transport plans. The Deputies referenced counties like my own, Meath, Wicklow and Kildare. I see that traffic first-hand. I am in it every morning and evening and I know what it is like. Representing the town of Navan, which is one of the few Dublin growth centres that does not have any rail connection, I can see how transport is a major issue that should be linked to planning as best as we can possibly do so.

Those transport plans have obvious links to overall planning objectives, so in that regard there may be scope to give some additional function to the Office of the Planning Regulator to review strategic transport plans, as proposed in the amendment, although not perhaps as extensive a role as contended in the Opposition amendments. That is something we can examine. I think we agree on some sort of a role. That outlined in the amendment is quite extensive. We might have to debate that further, but there is general support in the Chamber for looking at that.

On Committee Stage, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, committed to teasing out these amendments to see if some agreement could be reached, but more time is required to draft that, to consult other Ministers and to try to come up with appropriately worded amendments that it is hoped we can all agree to as best we can because I understand what the Deputies are trying to do. We will try to help with that if we can.

In accordance with standard practice, I ask the Deputies to withdraw these amendments for now on the basis that we will consider the issue, including examining the legal and drafting aspects of the proposed amendments, but also to discuss this further with the Minister's colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, with a view to bringing forward appropriately worded amendments when the Bill is taken in the Seanad if agreement can be reached. We are making some progress but we need a little more time to try to come up with something to which we can all agree.

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