Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for their opening remarks and questions. I agree one of the most important areas of reform in the Bill is Part 9, which updates the processes and parameters of planning judicial reviews, as well as introducing a scale of fees relating to the judicial reviews legal fee and an environmental legal costs financial assistance mechanism. Principally, this is to ensure the costs associated with proceeding with a judicial review are not prohibitive and to maintain compliance with Ireland's commitment under the Aarhus Convention.

Deputy Ó Broin asked what analysis the Government has undertaken. The reform has been underpinned by a detailed review and advice from the Office of the Attorney General, as well as extensive engagement with stakeholders and other relevant Departments, in particular the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, which leads on the establishment of the scale of fees and the environmental legal costs financial assistance mechanism. A comprehensive amount of work has been undertaken and there has been extensive engagement on this. It is one of the most important areas of reform in the Bill and due diligence has been carried out.

In relation to the wider exercise around reviewing the judicial review process, that is being undertaken by the Department of Justice and the Minister, Deputy McEntee. It is not the responsibility of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.