As Minister, my role is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each planning authority.
Section 48 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 provides that planning authorities may levy development contributions in respect of public infrastructure and facilities provided by, or on behalf of, the local authority that benefit development in the area. Development contribution schemes are drawn up by each planning authority and approved by the elected members following a public consultation process. It is a matter for the members of the planning authority to determine the level of contribution and the types of development to which they will apply.
Details of individual development contribution schemes are available directly from each planning authority. Each planning authority is also required to include details of contributions received and contributions owing to it, together with information on how the contributions have been expended, in the statutory annual report of the authority. The balances for the period 2004-2008 are set out in the table below. On completion of the audits for the 2010/2011 audit cycle in March 2011, my Department will have full information on the balance of development contributions for 2009.
Year
|
Balance at 31st December
|
|
€
|
2004
|
52,916,022
|
2005
|
74,545,191
|
2006
|
110,130,239
|
2007
|
215,744,569
|
2008
|
191,589,470
|