Section 177K(1C)(a) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 ("the 2000 Act"), as amended by section 8 of the Planning and Development, and Residential Tenancies, Act 2020, provides that An Bord Pleanála ("the Board") shall, in relation to an application for substitute consent pending on 19 December 2020 invite the applicant to provide information as the applicant considers material for the purposes of the Board’s satisfying itself that exceptional circumstances exist that would justify the grant of such consent by the Board. The Board may, in addition to any other information given or required to be given, require the applicant to provide information as the Board may reasonably require for the purposes of its satisfying itself that such exceptional circumstances exist.
Section 177K (1D) of the 2000 Act provides for additional public consultation requirements in respect of an existing application for substitute consent pending before the Board on 19 December 2020, including that the Board shall require the applicant to publish an additional newspaper notice (including notice of any additional information submitted under subsection (1C)), erect an additional site notice and that the Board shall make the application for substitute consent, including such additional information submitted in accordance with subsection (1C), available for inspection at its offices and online on its website.
I am aware that an application for substitute consent application with respect to the Derrybrien Wind Farm was submitted to the Board on 21 August 2020. Under section 30 of the 2000 Act, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned. Consequently, I cannot comment on a particular substitute consent application under consideration by the Board.
Arrangements have been put in place by all bodies under the aegis of my Department to facilitate the provision of information directly to members of the Oireachtas. This provides a speedy, efficient and cost effective system to address queries directly to the relevant bodies. The contact email address for members of the Oireachtas who wish to seek information from An Bord Pleanála is oireachtasqueries@pleanala.ie.
