Vol. 433 No. 7
87 Ms. McManus asked the Minister for the Environment his views on whether the conditions for an environmental impact study in relation to housing developments are too restrictive and that they should include a smaller size of development, such as 500 houses or over.
Housing development which constitutes an urban development project is subject to environmental impact assessment if it involves an area greater than 50 hectares in the case of a new or extended urban area, or greater than two hectares within an existing urban area. Planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála have power to require projects involving smaller areas to undergo EIA, where the proposed development is considered likely to have significant effects on the environment. I have no proposals to modify these provisions.
