Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Doherty has raised a number of points. With regard to the advertisement of the applications in the media, the applicants are compliant with the law as it is by virtue of having advertised in the Donegal Democratand having made the application details available at the local Garda stations, including one that was open for access for 24 hours. We can have debates about how widely read these applications are and so on, but in that context the applications comply with the statutory process.

I also made the point that in complying with the statutory process, there are a number of notice bodies invited to make submissions, and I listed those, including Donegal County Council, An Taisce, the National Parks and Wildlife service and so on. They were all notified and their observations, views and reports are taken into account, including the views that are available to me through my Department and other agencies that are involved in the decision-making process. Ultimately, I must make the decision. I do not mean to be in any way circumspect here, but there is a process and I will comply entirely with the process. Once the process is in the public realm I can discuss the matter. The process requires me to put the decision in the first instance into the Donegal Democrat later this week and I will be complying with the law on this.

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