Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 259: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if SI No. 2 of 2002 will be amended in order to extend the benefit of the €50 per finger-post sign provision to include craft enterprises located in remote areas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34477/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Section 254 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides for a licensing system for the placement of various structures and appliances on, under, over or along a public road, including maps for indicating directions or places. This licensing system enables a local authority to exercise control over the placing of structures on roads to prevent traffic hazards arising.

The Planning and Development Regulations, 2001, prescribe the level of fees to be charged in respect of structures and appliances licensed under Section 254 of the 2000 Act. The Regulations prescribe a fee of €630 for an advertisement structure or €50 in the case of an advertisement structure that is of a fingerpost type not exceeding 1 metre in length, consisting of a direction sign to indicate tourist accommodation. I have no proposals at this time to amend this legislation.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 260: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason he issued a directive to Mayo County Council requiring fundamental amendments to its operational county development plan; the basis of his objections to the plan as developed by locally elected representatives; if he has instructed officials from his Department to discuss his views on the county development plan and its workability with the elected representatives from the county; the progress made in having this situation addressed since his directive issued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34519/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I refer to the reply to Question No. 1395 of 24 September 2008.

In my role as a statutory consultee on draft development plans and as part of the public consultation processes on the Mayo County Development Plan at draft and material amendment stages, my Department expressed serious concerns that the draft county settlement strategy did not accord adequate priority to the development of residentially zoned lands in the National Spatial Strategy linked hub of Castlebar-Ballina. Concerns were also raised that the rural settlement policy framework as proposed in the amended draft plan did not set out a proper strategy for the management of housing proposals in rural areas as recommended in the 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines for Planning Authorities.

As the Council did not address these concerns and in order to ensure the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, I issued a Direction to the Council on 11 July 2008 under section 31 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, requiring the Council to vary their Plan and, inter alia, to revert to the rural settlement policies and mechanisms devised and approved by Mayo County Council itself in the original draft Development Plan.

My Department has been in contact with officials from Mayo County Council regarding implementation of the Direction and I understand that preparations are under way in the County Council to amend the Plan accordingly.