Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 56:

56. In page 43, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following:

"Amendment of section 7 (planning register) of Principal Act

7. Section 7 of the Principal Act is amended in subsection (2) by substituting the following for paragraph (e):

“(e) the complete decision of the planning authority in respect of any such application, including any conditions imposed and the date of the decision, together with such further points of detail as are agreed, or deemed to have been agreed, under section 34(5), between the planning authority and the person carrying out the development,".".

This amendment provides that among the details to be noted on the planning register to be kept at the office of the planning authority of a planning decision are the complete decision of the planning authority on a planning application, details of conditions imposed and the date of the decision, together with such further supplementary points of detail referred to as compliance conditions, as are agreed or deemed to have been agreed under section 34(5) of the Act between the planning authority and the person carrying out the development subsequent to the granting of planning permission. The purpose of the amendment is to generally enhance transparency in relation to planning permissions and also points of detail or compliance conditions attached to such permissions in order that there will be wider public information available on planning permissions.

I signal that I will be bringing forward a further amendment on Report Stage to supplement amendment No. 56, effectively, to require planning authorities to conclude agreement on supplementary points of detail with persons undertaking development within a specified reasonable timeframe and what will happen where agreement is not reached within that specified timeframe. The purpose of the further Report Stage amendment will be to speed up the process of negotiating agreement between planning authorities and developers on specific points of detail relating to development works in order that developers can proceed with the necessary works within a reasonable time or without undue delay, thereby providing greater certainty in the procession of development works.