I move amendment No. 1:
To delete subsection (2) and substitute the following subsections:
"(2) This Act shall come into operation as follows:
(a) this section shall come into operation on the passing of this Act,
(b) sections 84, 85 and 86 and subsection (5) of section 89 shall come into operation on the day fixed for that purpose by the Minister for Local Government by order,
(c) if an order is made under paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section, the rest of this Act shall come into operation on the day appointed by that order,
(d) if an order is not made under paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section, the rest of this Act shall come into operation in an area on the day appointed with respect to that area by order made under paragraph (b) of that subsection.
(3) The Minister for Local Government—
(a) may by order appoint a day to be the day appointed under this Act, or
(b) may by orders appoint two or more different days to be, with respect to different areas respectively, the days appointed under this Act."
The purpose of the amendment is to enable the Act to be brought into operation in stages, and possibly on different dates. I can visualise, for instance, the Act being brought in on one date for the city of Dublin, and possibly in counties which up to the moment have not had any planning control in operation, it might be that we would consider it desirable to bring it into operation on a different date for reasons that might have to do with administrative or technical personnel. The amendment is intended to enable us to do that rather than under the Bill as it now stands bringing it into operation on the one day for the entire country. The purpose of the amendment is to enable the Minister, if circumstances so warrant or demand, to bring it in stages, and to apply it to different parts of the country on different days, to be appointed.