Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I take what the Minister has said that that is the question that needs to be answered. In reality these amendments came forward on Report Stage in the Seanad and came back to the Dáil. We did not even get to debate them because the time ran out. If that clarity needed to be given in respect of planning applications or the planning Act, surely it was known about a year ago or six months ago. It could have been in the Bill that was put before the House here rather than being lumped in as a Government amendment in the Seanad, meaning that no debate took place on it in here.

That is the first question.

The Minister said in response to a previous question that he did not want to import fracked gas but he will now allow for an application to go through the process. That is what this is about. It is about making that process work but surely it is disingenuous to allow an application to go through the process, and to give somebody the indication that this is going to happen and is going to go ahead. They have to go through the whole planning process and through An Bord Pleanála when the Minister has no intention of allowing this happening at any stage. That seems to me to be a wee bit disingenuous and goes against the intention of what the Minister is saying.

See this speech in context