Vol. 395 No. 7
94 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for the Environment , in the case of the 546 housing units which are proposed at Carysfort Park, Blackrock, County Dublin, if he intends to support calls by local residents, planners and An Taisce for an environmental impact assessment statement before the planning authority consider the application; and, in view of his recent publication of the EC environmental impact assessment regulations, if he will make a statement on the matter.
While it would not be proper for me to comment on any particular planning case, the general position regarding the requirement of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is governed, with effect from 1 February 1990 by the European Communities (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, 1989 (S.I. No. 349 of 1989) and the Local Government (Planning and Development) Regulations, 1990 (S.I. No. 25 of 1990).
The effect of these provisions is, inter alia, to require a planning application to be accompanied by an EIS where the application is in respect of development of a class for the time being specified under Article 24 of the 1989 regulations. In addition, a planning authority have discretion to require an EIS in respect of development which would be of this class but for not exceeding the relevant environmental threshold specified in the 1989 regulations, and which the authority consider would be likely to have significant effects on the environment.
