Vol. 540 No. 1
370 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when he will give effect to sections of the new planning Act which would allow An Bord Pleanála to consider environmental and health issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20188/01]
The Planning and Development Act, 2000, was enacted on 28 August 2000. Because of the scale and complexity of the Act, and the need to make regulations to give full effect to its provisions, it is necessary to commence the Act in stages. To date, I have made three commencement orders bringing into force a number of parts of the Act. These include Part II on development plans, Part V on the supply of housing, Part IX on strategic development zones, Part XIV on the acquisition of land, Part XX which amends the Roads Act, 1993, and Part XVI on the licensing of outdoor events.
Regulations are currently being finalised by my Department which will enable me to bring the development control provisions of the Act into force. Some of these regulations require the prior approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas. I have also undertaken to bring the regulations in their entirety before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Local Government for discussion prior to bringing them into force. A draft of the regulations will be submitted to the Oireachtas shortly.
