154.—(1) (a) Where a decision to enforce is made under section 153 or where urgent action is required under section 155, the planning authority shall, as soon as may be, serve an enforcement notice under this section.

(b) Where an enforcement notice is served under this section, the planning authority shall notify any person who made representations under section 152(1)(a) and any other person, who in the opinion of the planning authority may be concerned with the matter to which the notice concerned relates, not being a person on whom the enforcement notice was served, of the service of the enforcement notice.

(2) Where the planning authority decides not to issue an enforcement notice, it shall notify any person to whom the warning letter was copied under section 152 and any other person who made a representation under that section of the decision in writing within 2 weeks of the making of that decision.

(3) (a) An enforcement notice under subsection (1) shall be served on the person carrying out the development and, where the planning authority considers it necessary, the owner or the occupier of the land or any other person who, in the opinion of the planning authority, may be concerned with the matters to which the notice relates.

(b) If, subsequent to the service of the enforcement notice, the planning authority becomes aware that any other person may be carrying out development or is an owner or occupier of the land or may be affected by the notice, the notice may be served on that person and the period specified for compliance with the notice shall be extended as necessary to a maximum of 6 months, and the other person or persons on whom the notice had previously been served under paragraph (a) shall be informed in writing.

(4) An enforcement notice shall take effect on the date of the service thereof.

(5) An enforcement notice shall refer to the land concerned and shall—

(a) (i) in respect of a development where no permission has been granted, require that development to cease or not to commence, as appropriate, F660[…]

(ii) in respect of a development for which permission has been granted under Part III F661[or section 293], require that the development will proceed in conformity with the permission, or with any condition to which the permission is subject, F662[or]

F662[(iii) in respect of a development in respect of which a certificate has been issued by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority under section 25(7)(a)(ii) of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority Act 1997 or by the Custom House Docks Development Authority under section 12(6)(b) of the Urban Renewal Act 1986, require that the development will proceed in conformity with the planning scheme made under those Acts in respect of which the development was certified to be consistent and any conditions to which the certificate is subject, ]

(b) require such steps as may be specified in the notice to be taken within a specified period, including, where appropriate, the removal, demolition or alteration of any structure and the discontinuance of any use and, in so far as is practicable, the restoration of the land to its condition prior to the commencement of the development,

(c) warn the person or persons served with the enforcement notice that, if within the period specified under paragraph (b) or within such extended period (not being more than 6 months) as the planning authority may allow, the steps specified in the notice to be taken are not taken, the planning authority may enter on the land and take such steps, including the removal, demolition or alteration of any structure, and may recover any expenses reasonably incurred by them in that behalf,

(d) require the person or persons served with the notice to refund to the planning authority the costs and expenses reasonably incurred by the authority in relation to the investigation, detection and issue of the enforcement notice concerned and any warning letter under section 152, including costs incurred in respect of the remuneration and other expenses of employees, consultants and advisers, and the planning authority may recover these costs and expenses incurred by it in that behalf, and

(e) warn the person or persons served with the enforcement notice that if within the period specified by the notice or such extended period, not being more than 6 months, as the planning authority may allow, the steps specified in the notice to be taken are not taken, the person or persons may be guilty of an offence.

(6) If, within the period specified under subsection (5)(b) or within such extended period, not being more than 6 months, as the planning authority may allow, the steps specified in the notice to be taken are not taken, the planning authority may enter on the land and take such steps, including the demolition of any structure and the restoration of land, and may recover any expenses reasonably incurred by it in that behalf.

(7) Any expenses reasonably incurred by a planning authority under paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (5) and subsection (6) may be recovered—

(a) as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction from the person or persons on whom the notice was served, or

(b) secured by—

(i) charging the land under the Registration of Title Act, 1964, or

(ii) where the person on whom the enforcement notice was served is the owner of the land, an instrument vesting the ownership of the land in the authority subject to a right of redemption by the owner within five years.

(8) Any person on whom an enforcement notice is served under subsection (1) who fails to comply with the requirements of the notice (other than a notice which has been withdrawn under subsection (11)(a) or which has ceased to have effect) within the specified period or within such extended period as the planning authority may allow, not exceeding 6 months, shall be guilty of an offence.

(9) Any person who knowingly assists or permits the failure by another to comply with an enforcement notice shall be guilty of an offence.

(10) Particulars of an enforcement notice shall be entered in the register.

(11) (a) A planning authority may for stated reasons by notice in writing to any person served with the notice, and, where appropriate, any person who made a representation under section 152(1)(a), withdraw an enforcement notice served under this section.

(b) Where an enforcement notice is withdrawn pursuant to this subsection by a planning authority or where a planning authority finds that an enforcement notice has been complied with, the fact that the enforcement notice was withdrawn and the reason for the withdrawal or that it was complied with, as appropriate, shall be recorded by the authority in the register.

(12) An enforcement notice shall cease to have effect 10 years from the date of service of the notice under subsection (1) or, if a notice is served under subsection (3)(b), 10 years from the date of service of the notice under that subsection.

(13) A person shall not question the validity of an enforcement notice by reason only that the person or any other person, not being the person on whom the enforcement notice was served, was not notified of the service of the enforcement notice.

(14) A report of a local authority under section 50 of the Local Government Act, 1991, shall contain details of the number of enforcement notices issued under this section, warning notices issued under section 153, prosecutions brought under section 157 and injunctions sought under section 160 by that authority.