Mildred Fox (Wicklow, Independent)
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Question 414: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will review the development contribution schemes system which is causing revenue difficulties for local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28281/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under section 48 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, each planning authority was obliged to draw up, by 10 March 2004, a development contribution scheme which would state the basis for determining the contribution to be paid in respect of public infrastructure and facilities provided by, or on behalf of, the local authority that benefit development in the area.

It is a matter for the elected members of each planning authority to decide on the scale of charges, the level of exemptions, the duration and other details of their council's development contribution scheme. The local councillors also determine when it is appropriate to review their scheme. In a circular letter issued by my Department in June 2003, planning authorities were advised that their development contribution schemes should be adopted for a specified period and that, in deciding on the lifetime of the schemes, a planning authority should consider the period within which the provision of capital projects may be reasonably projected. It was also recommended that a development contribution scheme should be reviewed at two to three year intervals at least, where the scheme is adopted for a longer period.