Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Minister of State to clarify subsections d(i)(II) and d(i)(III) as inserted by amendment No. 3c. The terms used are very wide. The reference to "national, regional and local economic, social and cultural needs" covers almost everything. Who in a community decides which facilities and projects "can be of significant benefit to a community"? My neighbour and I might have different views on what would be of significant benefit to our community. How will these matters be decided? How is the Minister of State satisfied with those very wide-ranging criteria? As I said, does "national, regional and local economic, social and cultural needs" not cover almost everything? What does it mean to have wording that covers nearly everything? Moreover, my interpretation of what meets a local economic, social or cultural need could be different from that of my neighbour. We get on well but we have very different views on these things. How are we to understand that provision in the legislation? Economic, social and cultural needs encompasses virtually everything. What does it mean?

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