John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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683. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the additional resources he plans to provide to local authorities to speed up the planning process for renewable generators and to An Bord Pleanála for it to prioritise planning consents for renewable generators in view of the fact that a climate emergency has been declared; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22122/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended (the 2000 Act), planning authorities are required to make a decision in respect of an application for planning permission within 8 weeks of the date of receipt of such an application unless further information in relation to the proposed development is requested.

Where an appeal is lodged with An Bord Pleanala in relation to a planning decision by a local authority, the Board has a statutory objective under section 126(2) of the 2000 Act to determine the matter within 18 weeks of receipt of the appeal. Furthermore, under Section 37J(2) of the 2000 Act, the Board has an objective to make a decision on Strategic Infrastructure Development cases within a period of 18 weeks beginning on the last day for making submissions or observations on such planning applications.

These timeframes are considered reasonable for the purpose of enabling the relevant consent authorities to give full consideration to such planning applications and appeals.  I am not aware of any particular problems being encountered in the determination of planning applications in respect of renewable generators.