Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 28 Apr 1992

Vol. 418 No. 7

Written Answers. - Bord Pleanála Fees.

Seán Barrett

Question:

233 Mr. S. Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the widespread concern about the greatly increased fees now being charged for third party appeals to An Bord Pleanála; his views on whether these increases, taken in conjunction with time limit proposals contained in the new Planning Bill, are in danger of leading to a bias in the planning appeals process in favour of commercial, residential and industrial developers as opposed to local representative organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Smith)

I am satisfied that neither the revised fees payable to An Bord Pleanála nor the measures proposed in the Local Government (Planning and Development) Bill, 1991 will operate to the disadvantage of local representative organisations. The fee for third party appeals is still considerably less than the fee for appeals by applicants for planning permission for commercial development and represents only a small proportion of the cost of processing an appeal. Moreover the Bill, while ensuring that final planning decisions are made within a reasonable period, has been carefully drafted to make certain that it adopts an even-handed approach in relation to all interests in planning matters.