John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)

I will not publish anything for the sake of ticking a box. I have been in this role for six or seven months. I want to ensure that we get these guidelines right, so I have been working extensively with my officials, who have been engaging with their colleagues in the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. All of the matters raised by the Deputy are being taken into account in the review, which is ongoing. I am aware of the draft guidelines that were published in 2019 before my time in this House or this role. A considerable number of submissions concerned noise and the issue has taken up a significant amount of time in trying to ensure that we get that element right.

I am committed to ensuring that the guidelines are finalised and there is a public consultation on the draft guidelines when they are ready. That is a priority in the Department.

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