Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding Senator Burke's comment around local authority members and their engagement around development plans and the content, they must be in one sense consistent with the national plan and framework and policies of the Government but also with proper planning around sustainable development. At any stage, local authority members can make a variation to their local area plan or the country development plan. That will then be appropriately assessed by the Office of the Planning Regulator. Their input is important but again we have to re-emphasise the statutory functions of the OPR are to independently assess a local authority area and county development plans.