Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Amendments Nos. 4 and 6 are Government amendments. Amendment No. 5, as proposed by Senator Fitzpatrick, seeks to achieve the same end as amendment No. 4.

Amendment No. 4 is a technical drafting amendment recommended by the Office of the Attorney General to ensure consistency with the other provisions relating to decision-making by the members of the planning authority, as set out in sections 2 and 3 of the Bill.

The decision-making arrangements set out at the proposed new sections 9A(3) on the taking of additional time to prepare the new development plan and 11D(9) on the extension of the duration of the existing development plan of the 2000 Act require a simple majority as opposed to a three-quarters majority. Amendments Nos. 4 and 5 propose to amend the requirement for a three-quarters majority of members in the proposed new section 9A(2) to a simple majority.

Amendment No. 6 is a technical drafting amendment recommended by the Office of the Attorney General to clarify that it is the members of the planning authority who will decide by resolution that a further period is necessary to complete the development plan review.