Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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229. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will request An Bord Pleanála to inform local authorities and public representatives when major infrastructure and housing developments are directly submitted through a regular e-mail newsletter or section of the board's website. [9144/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The strategic infrastructure development (SID) provisions in the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the Act), and the Planning and Development Regulations 2001-2017 (the Regulations), whereby planning applications are made directly to An Bord Pleanála (the Board), provide for the necessary public notification, site notice and public consultation arrangements in respect of such planning applications, broadly similar to the arrangements in place in respect of planning applications for smaller development proposals.

Specifically, the SID provisions ensure the notification of the relevant planning authority at both pre-application and application stages of the process. In addition, as part of the application stage, the relevant planning authority must prepare a report setting out the authority’s views of the proposed development, and elected members of the authority may attach recommendations to the report of the authority, prior to it being submitted to the Board.

The new procedures relating to applications for strategic housing developments (SHD) are similar to the provisions for SID, including the provisions relating to public notification, site notice and public consultation of any such proposals. The SHD procedures also ensure close involvement by the relevant planning authorities throughout the process, including - like the SID procedures - the requirement at application stage for the planning authority to submit a report on the proposed development to the Board. The Act further provides that at the application stage, the elected members of the relevant Local Area Committee or the local municipal district are also notified of an application for a proposed SHD development.

Additionally the regulations provide for a weekly list of applications received and applications determined or otherwise disposed of by the Board in relation to SID and SHD cases. These weekly lists are available on the Board's website at .

I am satisfied that there are appropriate notification procedures in place to ensure that planning authorities, public representatives and the wider public are informed of proposed SID and SHD planning applications.