Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2019
674. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if consideration has been given to amending the cost involved in making planning objections with local authorities and An Bord Pleanála (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2365/19]
View answerThe fees for making submissions or observations on planning applications and appeals are set at levels intended to prevent frivolous or vexatious submissions, while not acting as a deterrent to persons with genuine concerns or interest in proposed developments from making submissions. Furthermore, An Bord Pleanála has discretion to dismiss an appeal where it is satisfied that the appeal is vexatious, frivolous or without substance or foundation, or where the appeal is made with the sole intention of delaying development or of securing the payment of money, gifts, considerations or other inducement by any person.
Section 33 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the 2000 Act), provides that the Minister may make regulations in relation to the planning fees applied by planning authorities, including in relation to the making of a submission or observation on a planning application. The current planning related fees payable to planning authorities have been in place since 2002. It is proposed to review the fees involved in the context of the introduction of e-planning (the online submission of planning applications and appeals), which it is envisaged will be rolled out during 2019.
With regard to the fees payable to the Board, section 144 of the 2000 Act provides that the Board may determine the fees that it may charge in relation to its functions, subject to Ministerial approval, including the fee for the making of submissions or observations on planning appeals. The Board is further empowered to review such fees at least every three years having regard to any change in the consumer price index (CPI), and it may amend them accordingly without the necessity of Ministerial approval. The last CPI review of the Board’s fees was carried out in 2016 and the fee for making submissions or observations remained unchanged. The Board proposes to conduct both a CPI and a general fees review in 2019.
