Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 947: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if a local authority has the authority to reduce the length of time of a planning application in view of the fact that the extra week would have been beneficial for additional information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14245/06]

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 996: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if a local authority has the authority to cut short the length of time of a planning application; if a decision is due on the 24th of a month, can the authority decide to give the final decision on the 16th of the month and not accept a submission after that date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15061/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 947 and 996 together.

Under the Planning and Development Act 2000 and the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, a planning authority may not make a decision on a planning application until after a period of five weeks has elapsed since receipt of the application. The period during which the public may make submissions on a planning application is also five weeks from receipt of the application. Accordingly, a planning authority may not make a decision on a planning application, until the period for public consultation has expired. A planning authority must make a decision on a planning application within eight weeks of receipt of the application, unless it seeks further information on the application or where the applicant consents to an extension of time.

Where a planning authority seeks further information from the applicant on the application, it is required to make its decision on the application within four weeks of the request for further information being complied with or within eight weeks of the request being complied with in a case where the application is accompanied by an environmental impact statement.

Under section 34(9) of the Planning and Development Act 2000-2004 the applicant, within eight weeks of receipt of the application by the planning authority, may consent in writing to an extension of the period for the planning authority to make its decision. In such a case the period for making the decision is extended for the period consented to by the applicant.