Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate Deputy Pringle raising those matters. It is not specifically referenced in this Bill but I have contacted Cork County Council over a number of months and been working with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, on the question of historical burial sites. Everybody wants to be able to help and do what we can in helping survivors, bearing in mind the awful time they and their families have had, as well as those who have been bereaved. I corresponded with Cork authorities quite some time ago. Taking the Deputy's point on board, we are working with conjunction with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. I am not being evasive in any way, shape or form in saying we need a co-ordinated approach. It is a very important matter. I am doing and certainly will continue to do everything I can to help in that regard. I will do what I can legally and appropriately under my remit. In light of his contribution, I will revert to the Deputy formally on that matter.

I thank Deputies for their contributions. I know the Business Committee agreed to waive pre-legislative scrutiny on the Bill and I do not intend to make a habit of asking it to do that. I note the points made by Deputy Ó Broin and other colleagues in that regard.

I will reference some of the points made. It is not, as some Members have argued, a blanket extension of planning processes. One must apply for an extension for planning permission granted and the planning authority in the area would decide whether it is appropriate on the basis of a permission being substantially completed. We allow that discretion at each local authority level. There is no question of a blanket approach.

A couple of Members raised the question of potential hoarding of permissions but I genuinely do not see that occurring. There is a clear stipulation that works must be substantially complete. In such a case, I do not see a position where one could continue rolling on the permission process. This is very much in response to Covid-19 and there have been genuine delays in the completion of works. We will come back to a number of these points on Committee Stage, which I expect will happen next week.

The county development plans are a reserved function of the county and city councillors, who are elected members, and I will leave it to each of them the question of extension and the criteria that they will use to decide if their development plan has been affected. We have been dealing with 14 different local authorities about various different matters in the development plan process. Some may choose not to take up the extension, and they can do that, but others have found it particularly problematic for members.

I recognise the work done by all councillors across all parties and none not just on development plans over the period of the pandemic but in all the other work they do. Sometimes, it is thankless work and they are really the tip of the spear for local government in their areas, towns and villages all over the country. The measures around development plans are really to give them choice and the process is for the local authority. Should a simple majority of councillors decide that a plan is to be extended for one year, it can be done.

I have taken some detailed notes on the contributions. Deputy Ó Broin asked specifically about section 181. That came from a request from the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and his officials. It relates to strategically important energy infrastructure and the potential to ensure we have energy security, particularly into the winter. I can provide a specific note from him on that but it particularly concerns power generation. There are two major gas-fired power stations that are currently not operating at capacity and we just need to ensure that if there are any issues in winter, we have the potential to bring in temporary energy generation facilities.

That is what the section 181 exemption is there for, and the ministerial order, in case of accident and emergency. We obviously hope that we do not have to exercise this exemption, but it is prudent that it is there. I will provide the Deputy with a specific note on that tomorrow.

I thank Members for their contributions and for their support for the provisions of the Bill. I have taken note of the matters raised and I will come back on some of those issues when the Bill is on Committee and Remaining Stages.

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