Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 35: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of development charges paid under the Planning Acts to local authorities in each of the years since introduction, with an estimate of the sum expected to be realised in 2008; and his proposals in relation to the financing of local authorities arising from shortfalls in this regard. [34913/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Section 48 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 provides that planning authorities may levy development contributions in respect of public infrastructure and facilities provided by, or on behalf of, the local authority that benefit development in the area. Development contribution schemes are drawn up by each planning authority and approved by the elected members following a public consultation process. It is a matter for the members of the planning authority to determine the level of contribution and the types of development to which they will apply.

My Department has no role in forecasting the annual development contributions income across planning authorities. As Minister, my role is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each planning authority.

Details of individual development contribution schemes are available directly from each planning authority. Each planning authority is also required to include details of contributions received and contributions owing to it, together with information on how the contributions have been expended, in the statutory annual report of the authority.

My Department's Annual Planning Statistics for 2001-2006, which gives an unaudited breakdown of Development Contribution income for Local Authorities, are available on my Department's website, www.environ.ie. The 2007 Annual Planning Statistics are currently being finalised and I expect to make them available on my Department's website shortly.