I have read the legal notification.

It is important. We simply cannot have inaccuracies-----

Differences in opinion are fine-----

In the meantime do not say that it is compliant if it is not compliant.

With respect, it is important.

I second the amendment.

I move amendment No. 17: In page 38, line 32, to delete “, subject to subsection (8) of section 156—”

I move amendment No. 22: In page 42, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following: “(4) The Minister shall facilitate effective public participation at an appropriate stage, and while options are still open, during the preparation of regulations which may have a significant effect on the environment, and shall take the following steps: (a) set time-frames sufficient for effective participation; (b) publish or otherwise make publicly available the draft regulation; (c) provide the public the opportunity to comme…

I move amendment No. 23: In page 42, after line 38, to insert the following: “(5) Notwithstanding anything elsewhere provided in this Act, including under subsection (1) of section 285 , where regulations or an order are proposed to be made by a Minister under— (a) Part 3 Plans, Policies and related Matters, (b) Part 4 Development Consents, (c) Part 6 Environmental Assessment, (d) Part 9 Judicial Review and Decision-Making, (e) Part 10 Architectural Heritage, (f) Part 17 An Comisiún Pleanála, (g) Part 18 Office of …

I move amendment No. 24: In page 43, to delete lines 8 to 16.

I move amendment No. 25: In page 43, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: “(7) (a) The relevant Minister shall establish a list of prescribed bodies for the purposes of consultation on regulations and other matters under this Act under their jurisdiction, and before making regulations under this Act, consult with the existing set of prescribed bodies that are connected with or relate to the matters to which any proposed regulations the relevant Minister is preparing, and provide them with an effective …

I move amendment No. 26: In page 44, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “(e) a change in use of an artistic or cultural premises to a primarily retail or commercial purpose,”.

Amendment No. 26 seeks to include a change in use of an artistic or cultural premises to a primarily retail or commercial purpose, among the listed items. On page 44, there is a list of the kinds of development that are exempted. I have spoken in general about my very serious concerns regarding these exempted developments because it is not clear how wide or extensive this may be in terms of forms of development that are going to be bypassing what we would normally regard as the proper planning process. In terms of …

I regret that amendment No. 41 has been ruled out of order, having been voted down on Committee Stage. It is extraordinary and one of the strangest elements of this problematic Bill that section 11(2) effectively says that if someone makes a declaration on whether a project is an exempted development, such a declaration is not admissible in court. There is a weird, almost secret planning process that no one can know about and of which not even the courts can have oversight. This seems extraordinary and I regret tha…

On that last point, it is not the case that provisions will remain in place because the Bill explicitly provides for the replacement of sections 50A and 50B within the current piece. Those sections will end in their functionality when Chapter 1 of Part 9 commences. However, there are matters explicitly relating to costs that are not to do with Chapter 1 of Part 9 but are to do with Chapter 2 of Part 9. Those factors will be impacted if sections 50, 50A and 50B are replaced. The fact is the Bill explicitly spells ou…

I am just addressing the Minister of State's question.

Fair enough.

I was responding to the Minister of State's responses on these matters. It is also important that I note the concerns raised by Senators on the Government side that were overlapping. The responses of the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, were not adequate in respect of the question of how the Aarhus Convention requirement of a significant impact on the environment would be assessed. We did not really get an answer about the inappropriate use of a proxy for deciding if there is a significant environmental impact by …

I move amendment No. 27: In page 46, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: “(c) where an environmental impact assessment or appropriate assessment has not been required under any such enactment, but the activity may have a significant impact on the environment, public participation has been provided for prior to the authorisation or permitting of the activity.”.

I move amendment No. 31: In page 48, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “(f) an organisation, group or association— (i) whose primary purpose, or whose constitution includes objects, which relate to the promotion of environmental protection of relevance to the request concerned, and (ii) which shall additionally provide a simple written statement when requesting the declaration, review or referral, that it is credibly and reasonably pursuing those objectives, including in the context of a voluntary o…