Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand the sentiments expressed. I will compare our position with that in other countries to determine whether we could address the issue without infringing the criteria for public participation. Legally, we cannot infringe on them and do not want to do so, but I know exactly what the Senator is trying to say. I will discuss the issue with our experts on planning to determine whether there are criteria on which we could work in this regard. I am not saying there are, but I will look at the issue and know what the Senator is trying to achieve. The difficulty lies in ensuring genuine public involvement. If there are certain criteria that could be applied, the question of how they would be fixed and judged is very complicated. We are constantly examining the planning system to see whether we need to adapt or change it. On the criteria applied, I will determine whether there is any gap I might be able to address.