Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach had another 51 seconds to answer any four of the questions I put to him. When did he abandon the process that was agreed that the legislation, which has already been approved by the House and is going through the Seanad, would be the legislation that would put this plan on a statutory footing? If he has decided to abandon that and rush the publication of it this week instead of next week when the legislation will be law, how will he put this plan on a statutory footing? Has he entered into discussions with Fianna Fáil to create the circumstances to avoid his own legislation and his own plan to put this on a statutory footing going to a vote in this House? It shows complete contempt for the House for the Taoiseach to decide over a period of two years to introduce legislation specifically designed to put the national planning framework on a statutory footing and the week before it will be signed into law by the President, for him to rush the national planning framework through and publish it. Will the Taoiseach answer any one of those four questions? The reality is there was always a vote envisaged for the national planning framework. That is what it says in the legislation. That is what the majority of the House voted for. That is what section 20C(8) is. This is a political stroke that has consequences for the State and how it deals with planning for the next 20 years. It should not be allowed.

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