The Cabinet has an uncomfortable weekend ahead. There will be so much spinning tomorrow that everyone will be dizzy for the weekend when the national planning framework and the capital plan are addressed. The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, is in the Chamber. Will he confirm, since the Taoiseach was unable to do so yesterday, what the Government's plans are for legislative underpinning of the national planning framework? My question for the Tánaiste is whether it is appropriate that bodies such as the Irish Farmers Association, IBEC and the Construction Industry Federation are being briefed on the content of the two plans, while Members of this House have not yet received any information? We will depend on the outcome of the press conference tomorrow to obtain that information.

I will answer the second question. The consultation process has been ongoing on nearly three years.

There was a briefing this morning.

There have been 40 public meetings held throughout the country. The Oireachtas committee has considered the issue on numerous occasions. There was a debate in this House without the use of a guillotine on the national planning framework. The debate came to an end because we had run out of speakers. There were 42 speakers in all. There has been no shortage of consultation with other political parties and the House on getting the report right.

What about a briefing?

The House never voted on the issue.

It is perfectly understandable that other stakeholders in Irish society, both rural and urban, also want to be a part of a discussion before the final details are published tomorrow.

The day before.

The Tánaiste told-----

I will let the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, deal with the legislative element.

There should be only one question per Member. We are breaking with precedent.

The Taoiseach yesterday made the process involved clear. The legislation which has not yet been enacted and the spirit of which we have followed provides for consultation with the Oireachtas on the draft of the document.

Approval.

That happened in November last year. The legislation also allows for consideration by the Government of the outcome of the consultation process before presenting the final document. The legislation is not yet in place, but we have followed the spirit of it. The draft legislation does not envisage the Oireachtas having a final say on the document.

The Minister has misled the House. As he knows, the legislation does not talk about consultation but about approval by both Houses. It is disappointing that he has decided to do what the Taoiseach did in response to our questions.

It was a draft.

The Minister should acknowledge that he has misled the House.

Deputy Pearse Doherty to continue, without interruption.