Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am concerned about the charges imposed by local authorities on voluntary organisations, especially sports clubs, in developing new facilities. Where a club seeks planning permission for the development of playing pitches or a clubhouse, charges are imposed on it. Local authorities now seem to be requiring sports clubs to complete roadworks on the public road. In a pre-planning meeting one club recently had with a local authority it was told that it would have to complete the footpath from the village to the sports facility. The estimated cost of the work is €100,000. I am shocked that local authorities are collecting charges from developers to provide backup supports which include playing and recreational facilities. It is wrong that money raised by a sports club from the local community is being used to put in place infrastructure the local authority should be putting in place. We need to consider this issue and change the legislation to the effect that if a voluntary organisation, whether it be a GAA club or a soccer club, is providing facilities for a community, it should not have to pay planning charges as now required. The local authority is requiring such organisations to carry out infrastructural works which is its responsibility.I am asking that this matter be debated and that the Minister would come here. I was recently at a playground opening where the local community put in €100,000, a lot of it raised voluntarily, and a lot of it through the LEADER programme. The total sum paid by the local authority for that playground facility was €8,000 out of €100,000. I do not think that is good enough. It is wrong that facilities like this are being built 15 or 20 years after the housing development rather than at the same time, and then the local authorities are penalising the people who work voluntarily to provide these facilities. We should have a debate on this matter in the House.