Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the burden on growers resulting from development levies on plastic poly-tunnels which apply in some counties but not, for example, in County Kildare. [1941/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Charging development contributions allows local authorities to recoup some of the costs to public funds of servicing land for private development. Without them, this servicing could not proceed or the full cost would have to be borne by the taxpayer. Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, income from development levies must be ring-fenced to pay for facilities servicing new development, for example, roads, water and sewerage services and other amenities.

Development contributions are levied by each planning authority on the basis of a development contribution scheme which sets out how contributions will apply in its area. Such schemes had to be adopted by all planning authorities by 10 March 2004. The level of contribution and the types of development to which development contribution schemes should apply has therefore been determined at local authority level in all cases in accordance with the decision vested in elected members in this matter.