I move:
That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft:
Planning and Development (Fees for Certain Applications) Regulations 2023,
a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 30th June, 2023.
Planning and Development (Fees for Certain Applications) Regulations 2023: Motion
On a point of order, the procedure for dealing with such motions is on foot of a motion from the Dáil. Most regulations are discussed at committee and only after that discussion at committee is a motion brought forward to the House to deal with the regulations either with or without debate. In this instance that process has not been properly followed. We only discussed the regulations at our committee yesterday with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. There was significant concern among Opposition and Government committee members about certain aspects of the first of the regulations. Nobody was opposing the spirit of the regulations but their duration and the possibility of them leading to very substandard accommodation for people fleeing war in Ukraine and elsewhere. The motivation for the regulations being primarily for the commercial sector and not for the interests of possible residents left all of us very dissatisfied. In fairness to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, he was not in a position to answer some of the questions that were not pertinent to his portion of the discussion. Many of us asked for the motion to be amended so that we could have a proper debate. This has been denied. This is the wrong way for this to proceed. The committee wants to work with the Minister of State. He saw that yesterday with regard to the Government and Opposition. I am asking the Minister of State to reconsider and give us a 55-minute debate to get this matter correct.
The usual practice on motions such as these is that they are not scheduled to be taken without debate until they have gone through the committee. We did not raise objections to this because this is the last sitting week of the term and in the past any time we have sought to have a 55-minute fixed debate after a motion goes to the committee the Government has always acceded to the request. This is unprecedented, certainly in my experience. We facilitate the Government and when we request a 55-minute debate after serious issues come up at the committee and that request is refused it is poor procedure and poor practice by the Government. Given that there are very serious concerns about this and we are trying to work with the Government to get them resolved, at the very least the Government should have agreed to the request for a 55-minute fixed debate. If this is the way the Government will proceed in future I certainly will not agree to any motion without a fixed debate. They will not be rushed through the committee if that is the way the Government will proceed.
It appears there are three motions and it is the third of these that there is an issue with.
We understood that all three were being taken together and it is the-----
Is it possible to agree the first two motions and defer the third?
No. I will move the first two motions and I will make a comment on the third motion.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
Question put and agreed to.
I move:
That Dáil Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft:
Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. XX) Regulations 2023,
a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Dáil Éireann on 23rd June, 2023.
Question put and agreed to.