71. (1) Where, prior to the passing of this Act either or both—

(a) Dublin City Council, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Fingal County Council and South Dublin County Council, and

(b) the Lord Mayor of the City of Dublin,

convened, at the request of the Minister and in such manner as the Minister requested, a forum to consider the possible options and matters referred to in section 65(1), then, the convening of a forum under that subsection shall be deemed to have been complied with and, in respect of any subsequent steps taken before the passing of this Act that in the Minister’s opinion would, if taken after such passing, comply in whole or in part with the requirements of section 65(1), the Minister may deem that subsection to have been duly complied with to the extent that those steps were taken and that subsection shall have effect accordingly.

(2) Where the whole of section 65(1) is deemed to have been duly complied with by virtue of subsection (1), then, in respect of any subsequent steps taken before the passing of this Act that in the Minister’s opinion would, if taken after such passing, comply—

(a) in whole or in part with the requirements of section 65(2), or

(b) in whole with the requirements of section 65(2), and in whole or in part with the requirements of section 66(1),

the Minister may deem that subsection or those subsections (as the case may be) to have been duly complied with to the extent that the requirements have been so complied with and that subsection or those subsections shall have effect accordingly.

(3) Where the Minister deems a specified provision of this section to have been complied with in whole in a case to which subsection (1) relates or in whole or in part in a case to which subsection (2) relates, then he or she shall—

(a) notify in writing each of the local authorities concerned of that fact, and

(b) cause a notice to that effect to be published in Iris Oifigiúil.