SIB

national | history and heritage | news report Thursday June 01, 2006 18:34 by chris murray - the unmanageables

legislation re fast-track planning to be pushed through Dail next week.

The Strategic infrastructure Bill , published in Feburary of this year by Mr Dick Roche
TD is to be pushed through the houses of the Oireachtas next week. No date for the debate has been set, but it is an attempt to regain public confidence in the wake of the Statutory Rape debacle.
The bill allows for the creation of a separate entity within An Bord Pleanala which will fast-track infrastructure projects which are judged Strategic.( Or Contentious).

Mr Roche TD stated at the launch of the Bill that it would be amended to include gas pipelines on
it's passage thru the Oireachtas. The two day special sittings to push through these legislations
are planned for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
They were called today and reports are coming through on the media. The project which was originally going to create a national Infrastructure Board, this was objected to by Michael Mc Dowell Td because of the poolbeg incinerator and the effect that fast-tracking this contentious issue wd have on his vote majority in Ranelagh/Ringsend/Merrion.
A special section of the courts is also planned to fast-track planning. The SIB reduces the ability
of special interest groups to access the courts, as well as emphasising the issue of Locus Standi
or 'Standing'. Environmental lobby groups must prove that they have interest in the issue and be incepted for at least twelve months before coming before the courts.
Mr Roche also promised to transpose elements of the Aarhus Convention into Irish Law.

I will add the link later.