Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I may not understand the legislation fully, but from the argument the Minister just made, it makes eminent sense that if a development is under construction today that we would allow for a technical extension rather than a substantive reconsideration of the original plan. I get that point. However, if I understand the Bill correctly, for example, a major development could have been planned in two phases with one phase having been completed and no active construction now on site. A first extension may have been granted and nothing happened during those five years. Under the terms of the Bill, there was a commencement and substantial works were carried out but there is no actual construction. There could be valid reasons that do not conflict with anything the Minister has said. A planning authority might decide that a technical extension in this case is not valid, a substantive reconsideration is merited and on that basis, a second extension would not be granted. Local authority officials would be intelligent enough to understand the difference between the situation the Minister outlined, where a technical extension is appropriate, and the situation I am outlining, which is a real one in my constituency, where a more substantive reconsideration should be within the power of the local authority to consider. Therefore, I believe this amendment has merit.

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