Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the total cost to the taxpayer of paying the aggregate fees, salaries and any other remuneration to directors of all State bodies, to include majority State owned banks, all public interest directors, all semi-State bodies, all State agencies and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15403/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to members of boards of the bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group. The total cost of all applicable fees for the bodies funded by my Department's Vote Group for the most recent full year for which figures are available - 2012 - is approximately €468,000.

I am working to reduce this figure and, in this context, have taken a number of actions including the introduction of a significant reform to end the payment of fees for all organisations under the aegis of my Department which were comprehended by the Government's Public Service Reform Plan. Arising from the Government decision of October 31st last, fees for membership of boards, committees and advisory councils at these organisations - where they previously applied - will not apply in the future and members will serve pro bono. Whilst legislative change will be required to implement this decision in a number of cases, I have written to all organisations to ask them to implement this decision on an administrative basis pending statutory implementation. In addition, from January 2013 there has also been a reduction of 100% in fees for membership of the Irish Film Board.

The Deputy should note that the figure above does not include the cost of fees applicable to board members in two bodies, Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster Scots Agency, operating under the aegis of the North South Ministerial Council where the total cost of funding the bodies is shared with the Northern Ireland Executive. In the case of Foras na Gaeilge, 75% is paid by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and 25% is paid by the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland. In the case of the Ulster-Scots Agency, 25% is paid by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and 75% is paid by the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland.

An exemption from the local property tax applies to those unfinished housing developments listed in the schedule to the Finance (Local Property Tax) Regulations 2013. There is no general exemption for estates that have not been taken in charge.

Section 180 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 applies to estates which have been granted planning permission and includes the construction of two or more houses (which as defined in the Act includes apartments) and the provision of new roads, open spaces, car parks, sewers, watermains or drains.In relation to estates which have been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority in accordance with the permission, section 180 provides that the planning authority must if requested to do so by the developer or by the majority of the qualified electors who are owners of the houses involved, initiate the procedures in section 11 of the Roads Act 1993 for declaring the road(s) to be public roads, for whose maintenance the local authority will then be responsible.

Section 11 of the Roads Act empowers a local authority to, by order, declare any road over which a public right of way exists to be a public road. Before making an order the local authority must be satisfied the road is of general public utility, consider the financial implications of taking the road in charge and consult with the public/consider any objections received. The consideration of the objections and the making of the order declaring the road to be a public road is a reserved function, so that the decision whether to take the road in charge is ultimately one for the discretion of the elected members.

In relation to estates which have not been completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority and enforcement proceedings have not been commenced within the relevant period section 180 also provides that the planning authority must, if requested to do so by the majority of the owners, initiate the procedures in section 11 of the Roads Act. However, in this case the section provides that the provision in section 11 of the Roads Act requiring the authority to consider the financial implications of taking the road in charge is to be disregarded.

Section 180 also provides that where a planning authority, in complying with section 180, makes an order under section 11 of the Roads Act, it must also take in charge any open spaces, car parks, sewers, watermains, or drains within the attendant grounds of the development.

Section 180 was amended in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 to provide that a planning authority may take in charge an unfinished estate, at the request of the owners of the housing units, at any time after the expiration of the planning permission, in situations where enforcement actions have commenced or where the planning authority consider that enforcement action will not result in the satisfactory completion of the estate by the developer. Planning authorities have also been empowered to take in charge part of an estate or some, but not all, of the facilities in an estate.