Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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527. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the recent amendments made by Kildare County Council to its county development plan with specific regard to the matter of the location of electricity pylons; if he will support the initiative taken by Kildare County Council in this regard; if he will review the position of his Department on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45267/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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On 12 November 2014, I issued a notice of intent to issue a Direction, together with a draft Direction, to Kildare County Council relating to Variation No. 3 to the Kildare County Development Plan 2011-2017, as adopted by the elected members on 20 October 2014. I formed the provisional opinion to issue such notice on the basis that the Planning Authority had ignored or not taken account of a submission made by my Department on my behalf in September 2014 in respect of the proposed material alterations to Variation No. 3 to the Development Plan and that the Plan (as varied) is not in compliance with the requirements of section 13 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended).

The draft Direction outlined,inter alia, that the decision of the elected members to alter the policy in regard to the energy and communications objectives do not provide for proper planning and sustainable development as they would be contrary to national policy as set out by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in relation to Transmission and Energy Infrastructure.

The public consultation obligations under Section 31 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) provide that the Chief Executive must publish notice of the draft direction no later than 2 weeks after receipt of the notice of intent. I expect to receive the Chief Executive’s report on this public consultation, including on any views of the elected members, no later than 4 weeks after the public consultation process is completed, for my further consideration.