Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Development contributions are a key part of securing investment in enabling infrastructure required to facilitate future development. A planning authority may, when granting a permission under section 34 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), include conditions requiring the payment of a contribution in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefitting development in the area of the planning authority. Development contributions are levied by planning authorities on the basis of a development contribution scheme approved by the elected members which sets out how contributions are to be applied in their respective functional areas. My role as Minister with regard to development contributions is to provide the necessary statutory and policy framework, within which individual development contribution schemes are adopted by each local authority. The level of contribution, and the types of development to which development contributions should apply, including any exemptions from charging in specific circumstances if that is deemed appropriate, are therefore determined at local authority level, in accordance with the powers vested in elected members in this regard.

Similarly, and as with all local charges, the invoicing and collection of any outstanding development contributions are matters for the planning authority concerned to manage, in the light of prevailing local circumstances and in accordance with normal financial 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 and until such time as amounts outstanding are discharged in full, the conditions of the relevant planning permission are regarded as not having been met with the development concerned being unauthorised.