Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will give a wider speech on my amendment a little later. On section 2, I will flag that it is good there is a provision allowing those who may have already registered under the current process to preserve that, yet we also protect those who may wish to register in future. It might, however, be an area that could require further clarification. One area I might look at on Report Stage concerns those who have started the process of registration. I warmly welcome the Minister back to the House and I thank her for her engagement, and that of her officials, on this area. I also acknowledge the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, who has also been very constructive in engaging on this.

This is a collective piece of work where we are trying to come out with the best outcomes. One of the measures I wanted to signal for this section that I might look at on Report Stage is the question of those who have started the registration process or may be in the middle of it. I am sure the Minister will have heard that many people have hit last-minute barriers in registration, including the provision of additional pieces of paperwork. The problem we had was the 30 November deadline re-set was going to re-set the clock to zero. Thankfully, the general thrust of this Bill will not now mean re-setting the clock to zero on 30 November, yet those who have already registered before that deadline will preserve the 12-year right to register an easement. A little limbo space might be there for those who were nearly through the process and all the hoops before 30 November. For many of them, if they have invested quite a lot of time and effort into trying to register under the 12-year period, the return to the 20-year period might prove a little difficult. I just wanted to signal it as an area of concern. I might chat to the Minister and her officials about it between now and Report Stage.