James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will instruct local authorities to relax the regulations in relation to signage being used by businesses to promote their premises or businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18098/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Class 16 of Schedule 2, Part 2 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 provides an exemption from the requirement to apply for planning permission for advertisements announcing a non-commercial local event. It is now proposed to provide a similar exemption for advertisements announcing any local event promoted or carried on for commercial purposes. This exemption will be subject to a number of conditions e.g. related to the size of the advertisement, the duration it is left in place, the location of the advertisement and the frequency of display.

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 town or landscape maps for indicating directions or places and advertisement structures. The licensing system ensures that the local authority can exercise control over the placing of structures on roads to prevent traffic hazards arising.

The licence fee for a directional fingerpost sign is currently €630, except in the case of signs for tourist accommodation, for which the fee is €50. I now intend to remove this limitation to tourist accommodation, thereby reducing the cost from €630 to €50 for all fingerpost directional signs on, under, over or along a public road.

Draft regulations which include both of the above amendments were laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 23 June 2011. The affirmative resolution of both Houses of the Oireachtas is now being sought to allow the Regulation to come into force.