Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 452: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the Comptroller and Auditor General's 2007 annual report with respect to the collection of development levies; if he has taken action or introduced measures to improve the efficiency of the collection and spending of development levies; if such measures are under consideration or judged necessary; the way development levies are charged and collected; if this differs between local authorities; if alternative revenue streams are being developed to fund local authorities in view of the decline in construction activity, and thus revenue from development levies; if he will provide the latest figures for the balance of development levies; the rationale for local authorities to keep significant amounts of revenue from development levies on hand and unspent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42246/08]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 462: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to Parliamentary Question No. 502 of 30 September 2008 and his subsequent letter of 23 October 2008 providing the balances in regard to development contributions for 2006, if the equivalent figures for 2007 are now available; if they are not yet available, the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42362/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 452 and 462 together.

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; different amounts may be levied by different authorities. As Minister, my role is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority; policy guidance on the issue was provided to planning authorities in 2003 and 2007.

The Comptroller and Auditor General 2007 Annual Report raised a number of matters in relation to development levies including the time taken to apply levies held by local authorities. My Department's response is detailed in the report, a copy of which is available at www.audgen.gov.ie. The Secretary General of my Department, in her role as Accounting Officer, dealt with the matter at her appearance before the Public Accounts Committee on 16 October 2008; the proceedings of the Committee are a matter of public record and are available at www.oireachtas.ie.

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. The most recent audited information available to the Department in relation to the amount of development contributions unspent by individual planning authorities relates to the year ended 31 December 2006 and is set out in the following table. Audited information for 2007 will not be available until the second quarter of 2009 when the independent audit by the Local Government Audit Service of the Local Authority annual financial statements for 2007 is completed. However, the 2007 Annual Planning Statistics which are available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie, gives an unaudited breakdown of Development Contribution income for Local Authorities for 2007.

My Department is currently considering whether further guidance is required for planning authorities on the operation of the development contributions system. The need for any legislative changes will also be assessed as part of the preparation of a General Scheme for the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 453: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will support a matter (details supplied). [42271/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 205 and 208 of 13 November 2008. The position is unchanged.