Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2004
548 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the legislation which exists to investigate the procedures and practices of a local authority regarding inaction on planning enforcement issues. [17332/04]
View answerDirect responsibility for ensuring compliance with planning permissions in individual cases is a matter for the relevant planning authority. The legislation has not assigned powers to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to enforce planning permissions or conditions or to direct authorities to take action in individual cases. Section 255 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 enables the Minister to direct planning authorities to review their organisation, systems and procedures. Where the Minister forms the opinion that a planning authority may not be carrying out its functions in accordance with the Act, the Minister may appoint a commissioner to carry out these functions. The Office of the Ombudsman is the statutory body established to investigate complaints regarding the administrative practices of planning authorities including the area of planning enforcement.
