Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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155. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of section 254 applications that have been granted to a group (details supplied) by local authorities in the past three years; the number that have been refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35140/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Section 254 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 , as amended (the Act) provides for a licensing system for appliances and structures, placed on, above, under or along a public road, including footpaths.  The Act provides that a ‘public road’ has the same meaning as the Roads Act 1993, which defines it as “a road over which a public right of way exists and the responsibility for the maintenance of which lies with a road authority”.  Section 254(5A) of the Act outlines the licensing process in respect of an application for a licence to erect, construct, place or maintain overground electronic communication infrastructure and any associated physical infrastructure, including telecommunication poles. Within the statutory framework, licensing is a matter for each individual local authority and I, as Minister, have no role in the matter. 

Planning statistics are compiled by each planning authority on an annual basis for collation and publication on my Department’s website, at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/service/9e4ee-get-planning-statistics/.

The data collected relates to the total number of applications and decisions for all developments that require planning permission, broken down by year and planning authority.  However, data in relation to section 254 licenses is not specifically collected and consequently is not available in my Department.  Such information may be sought directly from the relevant planning authority.

Under section 30 of the Act, I am specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which a planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned.