Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 700: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, following a ruling by the European Commission, any further strategic development zone must have an environmental impact statement carried out for the entire project before it can proceed through the planning process. [24046/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I am not aware of any view expressed by the European Commission concerning the application of environmental impact statements, EIS, to strategic development zones, SDZ. Section 168 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 makes provision for the inclusion of information on the likely significant impact on the environment in a draft planning scheme for a SDZ. Article 11 of the Planning and Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2004, now provides that proposals for SDZ initiated on or after 21 July 2004 are subject to mandatory strategic environmental assessment, SEA, in accordance with the requirements of EU Directive 2001/42/EC, which provides for the SEA of certain plans and programmes.