Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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357. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the resources available for communities who wish to challenge large-scale developments in the planning system; and if the establishment of a fund to enable communities to fairly challenge planning cases that are often well-funded has been discussed. [66855/25]

John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has one of the most open and participative planning systems in Europe, with multiple opportunities to make submissions and appeals, including for third parties. It is open to any member of the public to make an observation or submission to the Development Plan making process, the key instrument for place making in the Irish planning system and on a given planning application, and the planning authority is statutorily obliged to consider such submissions before making a decision on the application.

Persons who make submissions are also entitled to be notified of any significant further information provided to the planning authority by the applicant and to be notified of the authority’s decision on the application. Those who have submitted on applications may also appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála and in appropriate instances may also make an application to the High Court for Judicial Review.

Recognising that Ireland is a high cost legal environment, Chapter 2 of Part 9 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 facilitates the introduction of a scale of fees relating to JR legal fees and the introduction of an Environmental Legal Costs Financial Assistance Mechanism, to help ensure that the costs associated with a JR are not prohibitively expensive and maintaining compliance with Ireland’s commitments under the Aarhus Convention. The regulations pertaining to these schemes are being prepared by the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment as part of the phased implementation of the Planning and Development Act 2024 over the coming year.