Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

We had lengthy discussions in this House and in the Dáil about the need for the full range of views of councillors to be referred to the board for information. This is important to me because I want to capture the views of councils. The Bill incorporates a major innovation in providing for councillors to send their recommendations to the board. As I said in the Seanad, to general agreement, this is the first time in planning law since the 1960s that we have specifically set out to empower local councils in a planning context.

During the course of the Dáil debate, Deputies were concerned that even substantial minority views could be excluded. It appeared that the best and fairest way to ensure the full range of views be considered was to record all views, rather than require a substantial minority to vote on an alternative. Amendment No. 17 is intended to achieve this. The other Government amendments in this group are consequential on it.

Our view is that all cogent views of local authority members, often varied in nature, should be brought forward to the board. It is important to ensure that the relevant record is prepared and agreed at the same time as the meeting is held. There are deadlines in the Bill — Senator Bannon and I discussed deadlines at some length during the debate in this House — and we would not expect the board to delay its consideration until minutes were approved at the following month's council meeting. Accordingly, the solution allows for the record of the meetings administrator, as provided for in the Local Government Act 2001, to be acceptable for its purpose.

This is an obscure point. The provision of an administrator to record minutes at a meeting is provided for in the Local Government Act 2001 and we are using that device to ensure the views of councillors be recorded and transmitted immediately to the board, rather than forcing it to wait for a month for councillors to agree minutes, during which time amendments may be submitted, thus negating the whole purpose of the time horizons. I am sure Senators will understand this is an improvement arising from the debate in this House and the Dáil.