Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 19: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to assist local authorities to recover outstanding development levies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16028/10]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The policy role, at Ministerial level, is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority. The adoption of individual development contribution schemes is a reserved function of the locally elected members of each planning authority. It is a matter for the members to determine the level of contribution and the types of development to which they will apply.

As with all local charges, the invoicing and collection of any outstanding development contributions is a matter for the local authority concerned to manage in the light of prevailing local circumstances and in accordance with normal accountancy procedures.

Where any payments required in respect of development contributions are not settled, such payments may be pursued by the planning authority through the courts as a contract debt.