Vol. 463 No. 4
28 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment the reason normal planning permission procedures were waived in the case of mobile telephone masts erected by Telecom Eircell for the specified limited period; by whom the procedures were waived; and under what legislative power and authority. [3530/96]
Section 4 (2) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963 provides that the Minister for the Environment may, by regulations, provide for any class of development to be exempted development for the purpose of the Act and that such provision may be either without conditions or subject to conditions, and either general or confined to a particular area or place.
Article 9 (1) (b) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Regulations, 1994, made by my predecessor, Deputy Michael Smith, on 14 April 1994, provided that antenna support structures, below certain heights, would be exempted for a period of six months from the coming into force of the regulations on 16 May 1994.
Guidelines in final form, taking account of the many submissions received, will be issued within the next month.
