Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 618: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the plans he or his Department has to make local authority development charges and rates for business more transparent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14817/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Prior to the enactment of the Planning and Development Act 2000, planning authorities could require payment of a development contribution, as a condition of a planning permission, on a discretionary basis. From 2004, in order to introduce transparency and openness to the system, each planning authority was required to adopt a development contribution scheme stating the basis for determining the contributions to be paid in respect of public infrastructure and facilities in its area and indicating the contribution to be paid for different types of infrastructure.

In May 2007 my Department published a report arising from the deliberations of an Inter-Departmental Committee on Development Contribution Schemes. This report was also accompanied by a guidance circular to all planning authorities which focused on a number of key issues identified by the Committee. Authorities were reminded of the need for extensive consultation with stakeholders in drawing up and administering schemes, the importance of openness and accountability, and the importance of achieving a balance between an appropriate level of development contribution charges and the need to attract future investment into their areas.

The guidance also requires that all draft development contribution schemes be submitted to County Development Boards for observations, in addition to the normal public consultation process. This direct consultation with the County Development Boards, which bring together a wide range of State agencies and social partners, will help ensure that schemes are even more robustly scrutinised and value added before final adoption by the elected members.

In relation to commercial rates the adoption of a budget and an annual rate on valuation, which is applied to the valuation of property to determine rates liability, is a matter for local authorities each year. The adoption of a local authority budget is a key function of local authority members which is carried out democratically and transparently following extensive consultation.