Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Fitzpatrick. We need to be constructive and I am not sure this debate has been particularly constructive. I had sympathy with regard to how discretion will be exercised. However, while we are amending the wording of the legislation to state that a planning authority "shall consult with members of the public in such manner", we do not make it mandatory to hold public meetings. The element "shall consult with members of the public" makes it obligatory to consult with members of the public and it does not remove the prerogative from public representatives to hold their own public meetings. Nothing in this Bill does that. I have absolute faith that public representatives around the country are quite capable of putting up posters and holding their own public meetings and if a specific matter or element of the development plan were that important, they would be well able to do that themselves. I raised my eyebrows when Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about over-egging and wondered about it but I am now firmly behind her assertion because over-egging is going on here.