John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will comment briefly on amendment No. 3. Nobody disagrees with the importance of public consultation, but significant periods are set out statutorily in the legislation for that. To select periods, such as the first two weeks in August, as the periods in which consultation is not allowed is not appropriate. While the first two weeks in August might not suit certain people, they might suit other people. Who is to say that the third and fourth weeks in August are not more appropriate, or that the first week in September, when kids are going back to school, is not the most appropriate? We set out statutory timelines for public consultation processes for a reason. Different times of different years will suit different people. It is just inappropriate to try to exclude certain periods.