Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the passage of this Bill, but I wish to raise a question. I note the onus will be on the applicant to provide its safety case within a certain timeframe so it can be adjudicated upon for the issue of a safety permit. I can see difficulties with specifying timeframes for the commission because the complexity of the safety case may vary from applicant to applicant.

The State is always great at specifying timeframes for everyone else but is not so wonderful at doing so when it comes to its own operations, if the Minister of State does not mind my saying so. In that regard, is there any redress for an applicant who feels the commission is tardy in dealing with their application? What recourse does the applicant have to have their case expedited? I am not seeking to have safety relegated in importance but, nonetheless, it is important we perform to a level commensurate with the requirement of the applicant. I do not think I saw such a provision in the Bill.