Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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59. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if data centres, as well as LNGs, will be designated as strategic infrastructure under the Planning and Development Act 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42879/24]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to strategic infrastructure in the context of the Planning and Development Act 2024, which was enacted on 17 October 2024.

The purpose of the Act is to set the legislative framework to enable the most appropriate means of assessment of all forms of development, including strategic infrastructure.

Duly, the definition of “strategic gas infrastructure development” in Part 4 of the Act was amended at Seanad Report Stage to reflect the types of gas infrastructure already listed in Schedule 2. This includes Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) provisions that largely replicate the current provisions in the Act of 2000. These provisions designate applications relating to LNG development as a form of strategic infrastructure and therefore such applications are sent to An Coimisiún Pleanála for consideration Any such application must be assessed in the appropriate manner including having regard to the requisite accompanying environmental assessments and procedures to ensure full public participation as well as having regard to the relevant Government policies.

Data centres are not designated as Strategic Infrastructure Development in the Act and applications for such facilities are therefore assessed by the relevant planning authority.