Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am concerned that we are weakening the power of the local authorities too much. We, in this House, cannot make an assessment of any individual development. As the Minister said, we are working on the aggregate, not on examples of specific data or specific developments. However, there may be certain developments affected by this provision that anyone might assess as not representing a good planning approach. It is important to give local authorities certain flexibility in the application of this provision in order that they may grant. As local authorities, by and large, have an interest in seeing housing development, one would imagine that the vast majority should get planning extensions. However, there may be specific examples where we should give that local authority the power to refuse even if the general provision is to provide extensions.

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