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

Amendment No. 16 relates to subsection 12 that provides that the board shall include in its annual report two things. First, a statement of the number of strategic housing development applications that it has determined within the 16-week period specified in section 9 or such other period as has been prescribed under subsection (10). Second, such other information as to the time taken to determine such matters as the Minister may direct.

The revised subsection (12) proposed to be inserted into section 9 includes additional information to be included in the board's annual report. In this regard the annual report will now have to specifically state the number of payments made by the board to applicants in accordance with the provisions in subsection (13) arising from a failure to decide on the strategic housing development application within the 16-week period specified in subsection (9), or such other period as may be prescribed under that subsection or subsection (10), together with the total amount paid by the board in such payments.

All of that is a technical way of saying that within the board's annual report there is a section in this Bill that requires An Bord Pleanála to pay a penalty if it does not make a decision within the statutory timeline outlined in the legislation. It is not a huge penalty but it is a consequence for the system not delivering what is promised in the legislation. The amendments calls on the board to report same.