John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to pick up on a few points. It is unfair to the Minister of State to suggest that by his putting forward this amendment in some way he is not empowering citizens. As I said in my initial contribution on the Bill, while the chief executive has ownership of the predraft at that point, it would be a very brave chief executive who would not take on board what the elected members of the council would wish. I speak as a former planning strategic policy committee chair on Waterford City and County Council. Apart from the Covid restrictions, if I wanted a public meeting to be held on the predraft, I can assure Senator Boyhan, the director of service for planning and the chief executive would agree to it. I am sure many local councillors across the country would also be very vociferous in suggesting the same. This proposal is about additionality. It is not about an either-or situation. To present it in the way it has been presented and to cast aspersions on the Minister of State that he is in some way trying to prevent the empowerment of citizens is unfair.