Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views as to whether it might be more appropriate for environmental impact statements submitted by those seeking planning permission for development to be prepared by an independent third party body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5685/07]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (EIA Directive), 85/337/EEC as amended, requires that consent for projects should be granted only after prior assessment of the likely significant environmental effects have been assessed and that this assessment must be conducted on the basis of the appropriate information supplied by the developer.

The transposition of the Directive is consolidated in Part X of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2006 and Part 10 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 to 2006. The Regulations specify the information that must be contained in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In addition, the Regulations provide that a developer may request, from the consent authority, an opinion as to the information to be contained in the EIS. On receiving such a request, the consent authority informs the relevant prescribed bodies who are then given an opportunity to comment on the information to be contained in the EIS.

The EIS is then independently assessed by the consent authority. It is a matter for the relevant consent authority to satisfy itself as to the adequacy of the EIS. The consent authority has the discretion to grant or refuse consent for the development or grant it subject to conditions.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 360: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason his Department made a submission to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council suggesting that the proposal (details supplied) to increase energy efficiency standards was onerous, and could add considerably to the average cost of a new dwelling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5686/07]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with section 13 (2) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and other prescribed bodies are consulted on proposed variations to city or county development plans. The submission from my Department referred to in the Question was in response to a consultation from Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council in relation to a proposed draft variation to their County Development Plan 2004-2010.

In this response, my Department commended the Council for seeking to promote more sustainable development in relation to energy performance of the built environment and reduction of dependence of fossil fuels.

The draft variation communicated to my Department proposed a reduction of at least 60% in respect of CO2 emissions and a target of 30% of space and water heating from renewable energy sources. I am sure the Deputy would agree, that in line with good practice, and indeed with the principles of Regulatory Impact Assessment, that it is important when decisions of this nature are being made that all relevant factors are considered, including potential knock on construction costs which could effect house purchasers. In this regard, I note that the actual variation, as adopted by Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council on 12 February 2007, has adopted reduction of targets 40% and 20% respectively.