Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2015
541. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the local authorities that have revised their development contribution schemes in order to put more reasonable levies in place to help stimulate residential and commercial development; the local authorities that have not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39377/15]
View answerDevelopment contributions are levied by planning authorities on the basis of a development contribution scheme approved by the elected members which sets out how contributions are to be applied in their respective functional areas. The level of contribution, and the types of development to which development contributions should apply, is therefore determined at local authority level in accordance with the powers vested in elected members in this connection.
The charging of development contributions is intended to allow local authorities to recoup some of the costs to public funds of servicing land for private development. Without such contributions, this servicing would not proceed or the full cost would have to be borne by the taxpayer. Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, income from development levies must be ring-fenced to pay for facilities servicing new development, for example, for roads, footpaths, public lighting and open spaces. My Department issued statutory guidelines on development contributions to all planning authorities in January 2013. These guidelines emphasise the importance of promoting development through the application, where feasible, of reduced development contributions to facilitate development and promote economic activity and job creation in local areas.
Further to the 2013 guidelines, 20 of the 31 local authorities have responded positively by adopting revised development contribution schemes - encompassing reduced charges – which have been notified to my Department subsequent to their adoption.
This information is set out in the Table below:
|
Local Authority |
Scheme revised since January 2013 Guidance |
Scheme predates January 2013 Guidance |
|
Carlow County |
_ |
X |
|
Ca van County |
X |
_ |
|
Clare County |
X |
_ |
|
Cork City |
X |
_ |
|
Cork County |
_ |
X |
|
Donegal County |
_ |
X |
|
Dublin City |
X |
- |
|
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County |
X |
- |
|
Fingal County |
X |
- |
|
Galway City |
- |
X |
|
Galway County |
- |
X |
|
Kerry County |
- |
X |
|
Kildare County |
- |
X |
|
Kilkenny County |
X |
- |
|
Laois County |
X |
_ |
|
Leitrim County |
- |
X |
|
Limerick City & County |
X |
_ |
|
Longford County |
X |
_ |
|
Louth County |
- |
X |
|
Mayo County |
- |
X |
|
Meath County |
X |
- |
|
Monaghan County |
X |
- |
|
Offaly County |
X |
- |
|
Roscommon County |
X |
- |
|
Sligo County |
- |
X |
|
South Dublin County |
X |
- |
|
Tipperary County |
X |
- |
|
Waterford City & County |
X |
- |
|
Westmeath County |
X |
- |
|
Wexford County |
X |
- |
|
Wicklow County |
X |
- |
