A public consultation on proposed revisions to planning fees was launched by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government today.

The current fee structure was set in 2001 and became effective in early 2002, when rates previously fixed in 1998 were converted into euros. None of the fees payable by applicants for planning permission has increased in the intervening period.

In July 2007, the Department initiated a review of planning fees with a view to establishing, for a number of classes of application, if a shortfall existed between the fees level and the administration costs of processing an application, and if they did exist, the extent of these gaps.

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The survey findings form the basis of the consultation document, which sets out the rationale for reviewing and updating fees for planning applications for various classes of development and land use, and the type of service improvements that members of the public might expect in return for any fee increases.

The survey findings confirm that significant gaps exist between the planning fees charged and the corresponding processing costs across a range of development types and that to ensure the delivery of a high quality planning service into the future, fees would need to be revised.

Participants are being invited to comment on the fees structure, the range of service improvements proposed, and also to suggest any alternative approaches to those set out in the consultation document. The consultation paper is available from the Department's website at www.environ.ie or from Planning Section, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Custom House, Dublin 1.

(VB/JM)