Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

Section 21 amends section 37H(2)(c) of the principal Act by providing for the extension of cost recovery to pre-application consultations and scoping requests related to environmental impact assessment for strategic infrastructure development cases under the Seventh Schedule of the principal Act in addition to cost recovery for cases that proceed to full application and determination by An Bord Pleanála. This Bill maintains the provision in the principal Act whereby the board shall state a reasonable sum to be paid and direct the payment of that sum to any planning authority that incurs costs during the course of the consideration of the application, and to any other person as a contribution to the cost incurred by that person during the consideration of the application. This amendment therefore provides for the recovery of costs associated with pre-application stage. Such costs can be offset against the formal application fee for those cases that proceed to a determination by the board. The "applicant pays" principle is the basis for the payment of costs under the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act.