Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I do not know how we have gone from this Bill that talks about the remit of Gas Networks Ireland to one that is now looking to transfer the functions relating to the Maritime Area Planning Act from the Minister for housing to the Minister for the Environment at the very last Stage. It seems extraordinary the Government is tacking on such a significant change without any discussion with the committee or any notification. It has just been added on like it is a small technical issue, as the Minister of State says, related to this. It seems extraordinary the Government is doing this; this is not the way we should be doing business. This is quite a significant change. I assume it is probably one that is warranted. I can understand the need or the wish to move it over to the Department of the environment, but it seems bizarre it is happening as an amendment to a gas Bill when it has nothing whatsoever to do with that and there is to be no discussion about it. There will be no discussion about what resources will be required, when it will happen or whether a regulatory impact assessment has been done on what is required to do this. This is not any way to do business, to be honest.

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