Planning and Development Act 2024
|
Procedures in relation to draft report and final report of review | ||
|
553. (1) Subject to subsection (5), where a review is completed under section 551 , the Office shall send a draft report of the review, including any recommendations it proposes to make, to— | ||
(a) the planning authority or regional assembly or the Commission the subject of the review, and | ||
(b) the Minister. | ||
(2) A person sent a draft report under subsection (1) may make submissions to the Office in relation to it within such period as the Office specifies (having regard to the nature, size and complexity of the draft report and any issue of urgency associated with its finalisation). | ||
(3) Subject to subsection (5), the Office shall review any submissions made under subsection (2) before finalising the draft report and shall thereafter finalise the report and send a copy of it to each person to whom the draft report was sent under subsection (1). | ||
(4) Subject to subsection (5), in the case of— | ||
(a) a review under subsection (1) or (2) of section 551 , the Office may publish, or cause to be published, the report on a website maintained by or on behalf of the Office, or | ||
(b) a review under paragraph (b) of subsection (6) of section 551 , the Office may send a copy of the report to one or more than one of the following: | ||
(i) the Ombudsman; | ||
(ii) the Standards in Public Office Commission; | ||
(iii) the Garda Síochána; | ||
(iv) such other State authority as may be prescribed; | ||
(v) such other persons as the Office considers appropriate in the circumstances. | ||
(5) Where the Office forms the opinion that the publication of the draft report or the report may— | ||
(a) be prejudicial to the interests of the security of the State, or | ||
(b) facilitate the commission of an offence, prejudice a criminal investigation or jeopardise the safety of a person, | ||
the Office shall not take any steps under subsection (1), (3) or (4) without first providing a copy of the draft report, or the report, as the case may be, to the Minister, or the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, as appropriate, and obtaining the Minister’s or the Commissioner’s consent to its further publication in accordance with subsection (1), (3) or (4). | ||
(6) Without prejudice to making any other recommendation, a draft report under subsection (1) or a report under subsection (3) may include a recommendation that the Minister consider exercising his or her power under subsection (2) of section 576 or section 577 . |