Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 276: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the new charges which local authorities have been authorised to implement since June 1997; the existing charges which may have been increased; if the mechanism by which they have been calculated has changed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9667/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The following new charges or increases in existing local authority charges since June 1997 have been provided for in legislation: fees were introduced in 1997 for service stations for certificates of compliance with the Air Pollution Act (Petroleum Vapour Emissions) Regulations 1997; mortgage protection rates for house purchase loans have varied since 1997 and the administration charge that local authorities can apply to housing loans was increased from 1 July 2000 and again from 1 September 2000; fees in respect of producers of packaging waste who register for self-compliance under the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 1997 were introduced in 1997 and increased in 2003; fees in respect of producers of farm plastics who register for self-compliance were introduced in 1997 under the Waste Management (Farm Plastics) Regulations 1997; a new fee under the Building Control Regulations 1997 in respect of commencement notices to building control authorities was introduced from 1 July 1998; fees in respect of fire safety certificates in respect of certain buildings and for dispensations-relaxations from the building regulations for buildings other than dwellings were increased in 1998; fees for planning applications, fees payable to An Bord Pleanála, the fee payable for extending the period of planning permission and licence fees for specified appliances and structures were increased under the Local Government (Planning and Development) (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1998.

The Planning and Development Regulations 2001 further increased certain of these fees: fees for making a submission on a planning application and a fee for a declaration under section 5 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 as to whether development is or is not exempted development were introduced in 2001; the fee for certificates of rateable valuation was increased in 2000 — since November 2002 it has been a matter for each local authority to set the level of fee it charges for these certificates; fees were introduced for certificates of compliance with the Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds from Organic Solvents Regulations 2002. There was no significant change in the mechanism by which increases in fees were calculated.

In addition to the fees and charges set by legislation as set out above, local authorities have powers to impose a wide range of charges for goods and services and the exercise of these powers is a matter for individual local authorities. Changes in motor tax rates, the proceeds of which are paid into the local government fund, have not been included in above as this is considered to be a taxation instrument rather than a charge for a specific service.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when a charge for a trade effluent licence fee was implemented; the rate of the fee; the way in which it is calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9668/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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A licence granted by a local authority under section 4 or 16 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 may be subject to such conditions as the local authority considers appropriate. These conditions may require the making of payments by the licensee to the local authority to defray or contribute towards the costs incurred by the local authority in relation to matters such as monitoring, treating or disposing of a discharge. The amount of any such payment is a matter for determination by the relevant local authority or, on appeal, by An Bord Pleanála. The powers of a local authority to attach such conditions to a licence are provided for by section 4(5)(b) and 16(4)(b) of the 1977 Act which became effective on 1 October 1978 and 1 January 1979, respectively, by virtue of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1997 (Sections 4 and 16) (Fixing of Dates) Order 1978.

An application for a licence under section 4 or 16 of the Act must be accompanied by a fee of €380. The amount of the fee is prescribed by the Local Government (Water Pollution) Regulations 1992 as amended by the Local Government (Water Pollution)(Fees) Regulations 2001. The fee serves as a contribution towards the costs incurred by a local authority in processing an application for a licence in relation to a discharge to waters or to a sewer. The regulations came into operation on 1 November 1992.