Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I concur with my colleague's remarks, especially in regard to the Parliamentary Counsel and the Attorney General. I accept the Minister of State's bona fides but if he is seeking opinions from them, Report Stage should have been delayed until the advice had been provided. He has stated inspectors' decisions have been accepted on many occasions but, in some cases, their decisions have been overturned by the board. Providing for two members to adjudicate on such decisions is insufficient. It does little for openness and transparency. Will the Minister of State revisit this issue? Staff numbers have been decimated in planning departments because fewer planning applications are being made, yet the Minister of State proposes to reduce the number of board members making decisions on appeals from three to two. This proposal is ludicrous.