Éamon Ó Cuív Probes Planning Bill Timing After Court Ruling

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív questioned the minister about the publication and scrutiny timetable for the Planning and Development Amendment Bill after a recent Supreme Court ruling on the leave to apply for substitute consent matter. He sought clarity on whether the bill, listed among 30 priority measures for the autumn session 2020, would be published early or late in the session and whether it would go before the Dáil for pre-legislative scrutiny.

Parliamentary question

Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív raised the issue directly in the chamber, asking the minister to confirm publication timing for the Planning and Development Amendment Bill and whether it would require Dáil pre-legislative scrutiny when heads are published.

Legislation at issue

The deputy linked the bill to a recent Supreme Court ruling concerning the leave to apply for substitute consent issue and said the matter must be addressed by the forthcoming legislation.

Publication timetable

The bill was identified by the deputy as one of the 30 priority measures slated for publication in the autumn session 2020. He asked if publication would occur early in the session or toward its end.

Minister's response

The minister responded that the legislation is due before the end of the session. He indicated that, as per established practice, it is expected to proceed through the process of pre-legislative scrutiny.

Next steps and scrutiny process

The exchange focused on timing and procedure rather than policy detail. The deputy sought a clear timeline; the minister committed to end-of-session publication and to customary pre-legislative review.