Vol. 568 No. 5
115 Ms McManus asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government if the Government has responded to the reasoned opinion from the EU Commission that the ?20 fee for making a submission on a planning application was illegal; the terms of the Government's response; if he intends to suspend the charge following further determination of this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16511/03]
On 23 January 2003, the European Commission issued Ireland with a reasoned opinion to the effect that the €20 fee for the making of a submission on a planning application is contrary to the public participation provisions of Directive 85/337/EEC on Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA. A reply, which responds to each of the points raised in the reasoned opinion, issued to the European Commission on 16 May 2003 and contends that the imposition of a €20 participation fee is not in conflict with the provisions of the relevant directive. I have no proposal at this stage to amend the relevant regulations which reflect an approach recently endorsed by the Oireachtas in the context of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
