Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief as I am aware the time is short and I want to allow other Deputies to have their say. I have one concern which the Minister might clarify. It relates to the extension of duration that he will allow for existing projects where substantial works have been done on the ground. I am concerned that there are projects that have not commenced on-site but that may have had money expended on them for enabling works and getting everything lined up to start them, but where they have been delayed. Is there discretion for such projects? I am talking about major infrastructural projects that are being carried out by the private sector which would add greatly to the economy but where they are finding that the negotiation of finance may have stopped due to Covid and it could take a year to crank them up again. Is there discretion in cases where money has been spent, not necessarily on construction, but for enabling works on a site or other such works that would qualify the site to get an extension of duration to allow the works to proceed and to be finished?

Will housing schemes that have not commenced because of Covid, where planning permission is running out, be allowed an extension of duration as well as the ones that have works carried out on-site? That is important if we are to keep the planning supply chain going and to make sure that building works can get up and running in a meaningful way. I seek clarification on the extension of duration.

See this speech in context