Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The amendment seeks the deletion of section 27(2). This subsection would exempt, from the protective provisions of the chapter, the authorisation of a proposal to carry out relevant works. Will the Minister of State clarify how the subsection will operate? A great deal of caution is necessary in respect of how our historic and archaeological heritage has been treated in the past and the lack of appropriate protections. I am going to speak to this in more detail in respect of amendments Nos. 15 to 19, inclusive, but I am concerned about anything that seems to allow for an exemption from the protective elements of the chapter.Will the Minister of State clarify how he sees this section? The lines I am seeking to delete are lines 25 to 39 on page 51 and lines 1 to 3 on page 52, which is basically the whole of section 27(2).