Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he expects to have the critical infrastructure Bill published; and the estimated timeframe for the restructuring of An Bord Pleanála to deal with major projects. [36662/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The general scheme of the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill was approved by the Government in June 2005. The Bill's main purpose is to improve the efficiency of the planning system in relation to major infrastructure.

The key features of the Bill will be the restructuring of An Bord Pleanála to establish a new, permanent strategic infrastructure division which will handle decisions on all major infrastructure projects; an extension of the board's role to include decisions on railways, gas pipelines and electricity transmission lines; and major transport, environmental and energy projects proposed by the private sector that are of strategic importance will be referred directly to the board and will not need local planning permission.

I have secured an additional 24 staff for the board to be recruited on a phased basis to deal both with the continuing increases in planning appeals received by the board, as well as the need to set up the strategic infrastructure division. I intend to monitor progress on the establishment of the new division closely as the Bill progress through the Houses in the coming months.

Drafting of the Bill, which involves complex amendments to several different legislative codes, is at this stage well advanced and I expect to publish it early in 2006 with a view to early enactment.