Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is additional. This is what is getting added in. It is not getting added because nobody wanted it. Basically, it means this goes straight to An Bord Pleanála. Of course, people can apply through the normal process and that is already there. This is a different route that is being inserted. If it is such a terrible route that nobody would ever want to take, why have it in the Bill, why introduce it? Why create it today, in June 2022? Why suddenly insert this new provision if nobody wants it and it is so terrible and inadvisable? Maybe there are those who just do not get that embarrassed about having to look for substitute consent and, for them, there is the bonus of just being able to go straight to An Bord Pleanála as it speeds up the process in another way. Again, if it is so terrible, then we do not need to put it in the Bill. It is not necessary for the substitute consent. A key point is that these are ones that do not necessarily relate to additional proposals on the same site related to the same matter, for which there may be a case. Senator Murphy made the point that if someone is developing a road and needs to change that road or do a new thing to fix up the project, that is one thing. These are additional applications on other sites.