Vol. 519 No. 3
193 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will amend the condition within the Planning and Development Bill, 1999, which requires all quarries which predate the Planning Act, 1963, to apply for planning permission. [13925/00]
I have tabled an amendment to the Planning and Development Bill, 1999, which provides for the introduction of controls on quarries over five years old. In accordance with the amendment, quarries which have been in existence since before the coming into operation of the Planning and Development Act in October 1964 must register with the planning authority and may be required to undergo environmental impact assessment and apply for planning permission. This will only apply to quarries where the planning authority considers that the continued operation of the quarry would be likely to have significant effects on the environment and, therefore, not all quarries which have been in existence since before October 1964 will have to apply for planning permission. The Planning and Development Bill is currently being debated in Committee.
