This meeting has been convened to consider the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2011. The first item is correspondence, I wish to record an item of correspondence dated 12 July 2011 received from Ms Karin Dubsky of Coastwatch, concerning the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No 2) Regulations 2011. This was circulated to members yesterday and I propose that it be noted and recorded as correspondence received in the minutes of this meeting. Is that agreed?
Business of Joint Committee
May I raise a point of order? I got a copy, informally, this morning of the draft regulations on the licensing, because there is a restricted circulation on this issue. I do not see how we can possibly deal with these matters, if we do not have an opportunity in advance to come to an understanding of the licensing arrangements that will apply. I am totally unhappy with that and I will seek an adjournment of the meeting on the basis of having inadequate information on the licensing arrangement.
May I clarify a point with the Deputy? Did the Deputy come with the agenda last week?
I have searched. I got this informally. This is the table. This is about the-----
Does the item of correspondence the Deputy is asking about relate to this morning's meeting?
That went out last week.
I am talking about a document from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government that relates to the proposed licensing arrangements. That has not been circulated.
Can the Deputy explain to members which licensing she is referring to?
I am referring to the draft of the licensing arrangement that will be required for farmers, for example. I am concerned about some of the things that are contained in the document. The licensing arrangement is not going to be the responsibility of a planning authority. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is going to be responsible for it. The licensing arrangement should have been decided before a decision was taken on the provisions that will be licensed.
Can I explain what we are discussing this morning to the Deputy? There will not be a vote at the end of the Minister of State's contribution. We are discussing the transposition of a directive into law. As I understand it, the committee will not be passing legislation this morning. The Minister of State will give us an explanation of the transposition of an EU measure.
Are we taking decisions today? Will those decisions be ratified in the Dáil next week?
The matter before the committee is for consideration, rather than decision.
I am not sure how we can consider something when we do not have the full picture. That is my concern.
I can sympathise with what the Deputy has said about correspondence. If the issue had been flagged with me earlier this morning, I might have tried to clarify it with the Deputy before this meeting commenced.
I found out about it 15 minutes ago.
The matter before the committee is a matter for consideration. There will not be a vote at the end of this meeting. Does the Deputy wish to proceed with her proposal to adjourn the meeting?
Yes. I do not think we can consider half an issue. We have to be able to consider it in the context of the licensing arrangement. We have not seen the draft licensing arrangements.
Okay.
How can one consider something if one does not know how it will be enforced?
The Deputy can expand on the issue by asking the Minister of State and his officials about it after he has made his presentation to the committee this morning.
I just want to make the point that I feel the whole thing is-----
The Deputy's point has been made.
-----totally unsatisfactory.
Is the Deputy still calling for the adjournment of this meeting?
Does another member wish to second that proposal? No. We will proceed with the meeting, which has been convened to consider the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011. The first item I wish to deal with is to record any correspondence received. I have mentioned the correspondence from Ms Karin Dubsky of Coastwatch concerning the Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2011. This was circulated to members yesterday. I propose that it be noted as correspondence. Is that agreed? Agreed.