Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 October 2012
403. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government his views on whether it is acceptable or if it is good practice, for a local authority to routinely refuse to meet with applicants, or their agents, or to have discussions with applicants, or their agents, in circumstances where a further information request has issue on a planning file; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42616/12]
View answerPlanning legislation provides that a request for further information in relation to a planning application may be made, within 8 weeks of the receipt of the application. The Department’s Development Management Guidelines (June 2007), however, recommend the use of pre-application consultation to obviate the need to seek further information at a later stage. The Guidelines also state that a request for further information should clearly indicate all the information required, should only be made where it is necessary for the determination of the application, and may not be used to seek changes to aspects of the proposed development. Requests for further information on one aspect of a proposal should not be sought where there is a fundamental objection to the proposed development on other grounds.
The Guidelines do not refer to the planning authorities meeting with planning applicants following the issuing of further information requests. It is a matter for the planning authority concerned, in relation to a request for a meeting to discuss a further information request, to decide whether it is appropriate or necessary to accede to such request, or whether it is feasible to do so having regard to available resources and the time-limits for deciding the application.
