Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Tá mé ag éisteach, bí cinnte. As I have said, there are two issues. There is the amendment, moved by the Opposition, which I will oppose, and I have explained the rationale for the amendment to section 50A of the principal Act. We are conducting a detailed review of judicial reviews and we will publish the legislation shortly. There was legislation in the previous Oireachtas. It could take a year, with the best will in the world, to get that legislation through, but I am not willing to wait a year while there is a national development plan and there is housing we need to deliver for our people. Let us bear in mind why we are doing all this. Judicial reviews have a role and people have a right. I am bringing back the process to local authorities.

It is also the case, however, that applications for judicial reviews and challenges are made at every stage of the planning process, and that delays the delivery of badly needed homes for people. That is our reasoning for streamlining the appeal and judicial processes. I am using the opportunity, and rightly so, given it is relevant when we talk about large-scale residential developments, to do it in this section. That is the rationale for it.