Ms Mary Kelly:

Without meaning to dodge the Senator's question, the board's role in terms of development contributions is a very restricted one. The local authority adopts a development scheme and our only role in terms of development contributions is to see whether a scheme, as it is agreed by the planning authority, is administered correctly. We cannot interfere with that. It is a function of the planning authority and not a role for An Bord Pleanála. We are very restricted in what we can do there.

Where erosion occurs in foreshore development, it is an issue that would arise in and be dealt with by the environmental impact assessment. It is one of the things that would have to come in at that stage.