Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 528: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of finance levied in respect of all development charges under the Planning and Development Act 2000 in respect of each local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26256/05]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 534: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the average value of development levies in respect of each year from 1997 to date; the annual revenue the levy has raised over the period distinguishing levies from housing and other developments; the estimated revenue from levies for 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26318/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 528 and 534 together.

Charging development contributions is of long standing. Under section 26(2) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act 1963, local authorities were empowered to require payment of a development contribution as a condition of a planning permission. The system has therefore been in operation for some 40 years. In order to introduce transparency into the system, the Planning and Development Act 2000 introduced new provisions whereby local authorities had to prepare schemes setting out how development contributions would apply in their area. All planning permissions granted by planning authorities after the adoption of development contribution schemes under the Planning and Development Act 2000 are subject to the conditions of those schemes.

Information regarding development contributions collected by planning authorities is published in my Department's annual planning statistics, which are available in the Oireachtas Library. Information on the total amount of development contributions collected by planning authorities in the years 1997 to 2003 has been forwarded to the Deputy. The 2004 planning statistics are being compiled. An initial estimate of the total amount collected in development contributions in that year is €350 million. The statistics supplied by planning authorities are a total. They do not distinguish between the types of development on which contributions are paid or between contributions paid, from 2004 onwards, under the 1963 or 2000 Act. It is not possible to estimate in advance the amount of development contributions that will be collected in 2005.