Vol. 411 No. 5
40 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for the Environment his views on whether planning authorities, public bodies and agencies should now be subjected to the full scope of current planning legislation, including environmental impact assessments, on the same basis as private developers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The law governing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requires specified development likely to have significant effects on the environment to be subjected to EIA whether such development is proposed by a private developer or a public body. Building projects by State authorities, that is, Ministers of the Government or the Commissioners of Public Works, are subject to consultation with the relevant planning authority. Development by a planning authority in their own functional area may not contravene the development plan and development outside their functional area generally requires planning permission from the other planning authority concerned. Development by other public bodies requires planning permission, unless the development is classed as exempted development by or under the Planning Acts. I have no proposals for any change in this position.
