Vol. 548 No. 2
314 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the categories of persons who are going to be charged ?20 for observations or submissions on planning permission applications from 11 March 2002; the categories of persons or groups who are exempt from this charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4706/02]
The Planning and Development Regulations, 2001, provide that, after 11 March 2002, any person or body who makes a submission or observation to a planning authority regarding an application for permission must pay a fee of €20. The only persons who are exempt from this requirement are local authorities, prescribed bodies listed in article 28 of the regulations who are entitled to be notified of receipt of the application, a State authority, or a member state of the European Union or other state which is a party to the Transboundary Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment.
The fee is intended primarily to contribute toward the increased costs which will be incurred by planning authorities in fulfilling their new obligations, under the Act and regulations, towards persons who make submissions or observations.
