I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 220 together.
Section 174 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and Chapter 5 of Part 10 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended, relating to consultations about the transboundary environmental effects of proposed developments that are subject to environmental impact assessment (EIA), comply fully with the requirements of EIA Directive 2011/92/EU and the text of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (the Espoo Convention), as ratified by Ireland.
The changes to the transboundary requirements set out in the most recent EIA Directive 2014/52/EU will be brought into force in Ireland as part of the overall transposition of the 2014 Directive, work on which is proceeding as a priority across all relevant Government Departments.
The Second Amendment to the Espoo Convention contains measures that are not included in either the 2011 or 2014 EIA Directives or in domestic planning legislation and will be considered further in the context of ratification by Ireland of the Amendment.