Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 443: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the amount of planning applications for retention submitted to local authorities; if he has evidence to suggest that this procedure is being abused; if he has plans to curtail this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7580/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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At present my Department does not collect figures on the number of planning applications for retention permission. However, my Department has collected figures on the total amount of application fees paid for retention permission in 2003, which was €3.112 million as compared to the total amount paid in standard planning application fees in the same year, €40.605 million. Considering that the application fees for retention permission are three times the amount of the standard planning application fees, these figures illustrate relatively low levels of applications for retention permission.

In addition to the application fee for retention permission being a multiple of the standard application fee, the Planning and Development Act 2000 specifically prevents the use of an application for retention permission as a defence against a prosecution for unauthorised development. These two provisions are intended to ensure that retention permission will be used only to rectify genuine mistakes and not as a means of circumventing controls. I intend to keep the position relating to applying for retention permission under close review.