Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is an important amendment. Where I have advocated strongly for city and county councillors, I now do so for planners. I have spoken to planners up and down the country who are very concerned about this proposal. We are dealing, in principle, with primary legislation. I do not know why everything has to be done by regulation. This Bill is setting things out clearly and there are concerns. The Minister spoke, and rightly so, about the importance of the process being planning led at a local level with local knowledge. I want to salute our planners, who work under very difficult circumstances and do not have the resources or manpower they require.

I know a lot of planners. Developers will say this mechanism is being used to delay the process and as a way of kicking things to touch and deferring decisions, and that is not right either. I have engaged with professional planners in local authorities up and down the country. They have told me that this is an important aspect of the Bill. They believe they should be able to maintain the requirement to request further information if they are not satisfied or are not of the opinion that they have all the facts or information and require greater clarity regarding aspects of a planning application. I think that is fair, prudent and reasonable.

We should support the planners. I engaged with some of them today. They are aware of this issue. I am fully supportive of this. It is an important decision. We should make a decision and go on the record regarding making this decision in support of planners around the country.