Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

May I respond on that one? I am in no way suggesting that the fee associated with observations be included because that is a really important part of the planning process. The fee for a submission to the local authority sits at €20 while the fee for an observation to the board sits at €50. This amendment is not designed to increase those fees in any way.

We have had discussion about whether that fee causes difficulty for some. There is no doubt it does. I am not entirely sure that if we removed that fee we would get inundated with observations and planning submissions, but obviously that requires further consideration. This is to do with the planning fees an applicant has to pay when they put in a development for consent. I think it is €34 for a housing application. That fee does not represent in any way the amount of work that goes into it. If we go up to much larger applications that require an EIA, etc., there are a lot of people in the local authority who are involved and who have to input into that and consider very complex matters. The fees charged for planning applications at this point do not represent the amount of work put in at the local authority. We need to look at all the fees associated with professional building and development. They are at a much higher level. While I accept it may not be put in here, I ask that the Minister of State take this back and consider planning fees in the round. The planning industry has come in for a lot of unwarranted criticism. This has been of planners at local authority level and throughout the system. We should reflect the work they do in the fees that are charged.