Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
854. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to regulate electronic advertising panels; and if he will make a statement on recommendation No. 148 of the Report of the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. [18091/23]
View answerAdvertising is regulated through the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act) and through the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended (the Regulations).
Part 2 of Schedule 2 of the Regulations provides exemptions for certain types of advertisements. Under Class 1 of part 2 of Schedule 2, Illuminated advertisements exhibited on business premises, wholly with reference to the business or other activity carried on or the goods or services provided on those premises shall not exceed 0.3 square metres. Under Class 2 of part 2 of Schedule 2, illuminated advertisements exhibited as part of any shop or other window display on business premises and other advertisements affixed to the inside of the glass surface of a window of a business premises or otherwise exhibited through a window of such premises. The total area of any advertisements so exhibited shall not exceed one quarter of the area of the window through which the advertisements are exhibited.
Where the illuminated advertising panel is not within the business premises and is proposed to be located on a public road, an application for an advertisement structure is made to a planning authority under section 254 of the Act. In instances where the advertisement structure does not meet the conditions of the exemptions under Schedule 2 of the regulations and is proposed to be placed at a location other than a public road, an application for planning permission is required under section 34 of the Act elsewhere.It is a matter for the planning authority to consider each application for a section 254 licence or planning permission on a case by case basis and have regard to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. Decisions by planning authorities on section 254 licences and section 34 planning permissions may be appealed to the Board under sections 254(6) which is not time limited and section 37 of the Act which must be made within four weeks of a planning authority decision on a section 34 application respectively.
With regard to Biodiversity, section 10(2)(n) of the Act requires that a development plan shall include objectives for:
the promotion of sustainable settlement and transportation strategies in urban and rural areas including the promotion of measures to (i) reduce energy demand in response to the likelihood of increases in energy and other costs due to long-term decline in non-renewable resources, (ii) reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and address the necessity of adaptation to climate change, taking account of the local authority climate action plan (within the meaning of section 14B of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015), where such a plan has been made for the area in question; in particular, having regard to location, layout and design of new development.
My Department published Development Plans Guidelines in June 2022 which highlighted the potential role of nature-based solutions in supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Guidelines encouraged Planning Authorities to develop appropriate ‘Green Infrastructure’ policies in their development plan in this regard.
Green infrastructure can act as a carbon pool or sink which absorbs emissions and thereby helps to avoid an increase in emissions overall. It creates a more diverse habitat, which has a positive impact on biodiversity and related ecosystem services such as pollination and natural pest control. Green infrastructure can also assist in managing high temperatures, particularly in urban areas, by providing evaporative cooling and shading.
