Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is a useful discussion and gives an opportunity to provide an update on the roll-out of e-planning. I will get specific details but speak now in broader terms for the information of Deputies. There are approximately 25 or 26 local authorities now operating e-planning. Fingal County Council, Deputy O'Callaghan's area, opened that up in the past week or so. I turn to the issue of a unique identifier and the stamp. You go into the local authority with your paper and it is stamped. On the e-planning system there is a unique identifier and an electronic stamp, so you know when that has been uploaded and the date.

I turn to Deputy McAuliffe's point. E-planning will deal with someone who is planning to submit paper copies. There is one application under e-planning, including maps and all the design. It is all uploaded. Access for individuals if they do not have access to a computer is probably the flip-side of what Deputy O'Callaghan is talking about. If I want to get something printed I can ask the local authority to print something for me. There is a charge for that. One thing I will bring forward is to try to further incentivise the use of e-planning by making the charge for lodging an e-planning application less than a charge for a paper format. As we transition to that, it is important we ensure there is access for all with regard to the planning system and applications. I take the point that it is probably highly unlikely that someone lodging for, say, 20 homes would not have the capability or capacity to lodge in e-planning. However, it was also recognised that an individual homeowner seeking planning permission to extend their house would not have that capability. We want to make sure the ability is there for someone to submit a paper application. As this is rolled out further, the Deputies will see that it will transition more and more. As an approximate figure, in the areas where e-planning has been rolled out, between 60% and 70% of applications are coming in through the e-planning portal. We can get a list of the 25 or 26 local authorities that have it. The general percentage, where it is open, is that between 60% and 70% of applications come through it.

I have explained the rationale for my not accepting the amendment. It might be something Deputy O'Callaghan wants to look at further on Report Stage if there is a refinement. We are moving towards e-planning and as we do that we still need to ensure an applicant can lodge a paper copy. The Deputy also raised an issue about the quality of the IT interface for people who are looking at the systems. Again, that will improve as the system is rolled out. I have seen that when I am looking at paper documents that have been uploaded. He should think about it this way. If between 60% and 70% of applications are now being applied for through the portal, that will deal with a lot of the issues of legibility and clarity around the detail. The e-planning portal drives you to put information in a certain format. I think that covers it and flows into the second one.

My official has mentioned a point relating to the information we will give. There might be a couple of outliers because the system is only being rolled out in some places, such as Fingal. You would see a lower percentage because that has only been up and running in the past week or so.