F714[172.—F715[(1) An environmental impact assessment shall be carried out by the planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, in respect of an application for consent for proposed development where either—

(a) the proposed development would be of a class specified in—

(i) Part 1 of Schedule 5 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, and either—

(I) such development F716[would equal or exceed, as the case may be,] any relevant quantity, area or other limit specified in that Part, or

(II) no quantity, area or other limit is specified in that Part in respect of the development concerned,

or

(ii) Part 2 F717[(other than subparagraph (a) of paragraph 2)] of Schedule 5 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 and either—

(I) such development F718[would equal or exceed, as the case may be,] any relevant quantity, area or other limit specified in that Part, or

(II) no quantity, area or other limit is specified in that Part in respect of the development concerned,

or

(b) (i) the proposed development would be of a class specified in Part 2 of Schedule 5 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 but F719[does not equal or exceed, as the case may be,] the relevant quantity, area or other limit specified in that Part, and

F720[(ii) it is concluded, determined or decided, as the case may be,—

(I) by a planning authority, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by this Act or the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 600 of 2001),

(II) by the Board, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by this Act or those regulations,

(III) by a local authority in exercise of the powers conferred on it by regulation 120 of those regulations,

(IV) by a State authority, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by regulation 123A of those regulations,

(V) in accordance with section 13A of the Foreshore Act, by the appropriate Minister (within the meaning of that Act), or

(VI) by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, in exercise of the powers conferred on him or her by section 8A of the Minerals Development Act 1940,

that the proposed development is likely to have a significant effect on the environment.]]

(1A) In subsection (1)—

(a) "proposed development" means—

(i) a proposal to carry out one of the following:

(I) development to which Part III applies;

(II) development that may be carried out under Part IX;

F721[(III) development that may be carried out by a local authority under Part X or development that may be carried out under Part XI;]

(IV) development on the foreshore under Part XV;

(V) development under section 43 of the Act of 2001;

(VI) development under section 51 of the Roads Act 1993; F722[…]

F723[(VII) development to which Chapter III of Part XXI applies; and]

(ii) notwithstanding that development has been carried out, development in relation to which an application for substitute consent is required under Part XA;

(b) "consent for proposed development" means, as appropriate—

(i) grant of permission;

(ii) a decision of the Board to grant permission on application or on appeal;

(iii) consent to development under Part IX;

F721[(iv) consent to development that may be carried out by a local authority under Part X or development that may be carried out under Part XI;]

(v) consent to development on the foreshore under Part XV;

(vi) consent to development under section 43 of the Act of 2001;

(vii) consent to development under section 51 of the Roads Act 1993; or

(viii) substitute consent under Part XA.

F724[(1B) An applicant for consent to carry out a proposed development referred to in subsection (1)(a) shall furnish an environmental impact assessment report, which shall be prepared by experts with the competence to ensure its completeness and quality, to the planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, in accordance with the permission regulations.]

F721[(1C) Where the planning authority or the Board receives an application for consent for proposed development referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (1) in relation to which the authority or the Board has made a determination referred to in that paragraph, and the application is not F725[accompanied by an environmental impact assessment report], the planning authority or Board, as the case may be, shall require the applicant to submit an F726[environmental impact assessment report and where the environmental impact assessment report] is not submitted within the period specified, or any further period as may be specified by the planning authority or the Board, the application for consent for the proposed development shall be deemed to be withdrawn.]]

F727[F728[(1D)(a) The planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, shall consider whether an environmental impact assessment report submitted under this section identifies and describes adequately the direct and indirect significant effects on the environment of the proposed development.

(b) Where the planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, considers that the environmental impact assessment report does not identify or adequately describe such effects, it shall require the applicant for consent to furnish, within a specified period, such further information, prescribed under section 177, which is necessary to ensure the completeness and quality of the environmental impact assessment report and which is directly relevant to reaching the reasoned conclusion on the significant effects on the environment of the proposed development, as the planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, considers necessary to remedy such defect.]

(1E) In addition to any requirement arising under subsection (1D), the planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, shall require an applicant for consent to furnish, within a specified period, any further information that the planning authority or the Board considers necessary to enable it to carry out an environmental impact assessment under this section.

(1F) Where information required by the planning authority or the Board under subsection (1D) or subsection (1E) is not furnished by the applicant for consent within the period specified, or any further period as may be specified by the planning authority or the Board, the application for consent for the proposed development shall be deemed to be withdrawn.

(1G) In carrying out an environmental impact assessment under this section the planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, shall consider—

(a) the F729[environmental impact assessment report];

(b) any further information furnished to the planning authority or the Board pursuant to subsections (1D) or (1E);

(c) any submissions or observations validly made in relation to the environmental effects of the proposed development;

(d) the views, if any, provided by any other Member State under section 174 or Regulations made under that section.

F730[(1GA)(a) Paragraph (b) applies where an environmental impact assessment under this section and an appropriate assessment following a determination under section 177U(4) are required to be carried out simultaneously in respect of the same development.

(b) The planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, shall coordinate the 2 assessments.]

(1H) In carrying out an environmental impact assessment under this section the planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, F731[shall ensure it has, or has access as necessary to, sufficient expertise to examine the environmental impact assessment report to ensure its completeness and quality and] may have regard to and adopt in whole or in part any reports prepared by its officials or by consultants, experts or other advisers.

F732[(1I)(a) Where the planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, decides to grant consent for the proposed development, it shall—

(i) attach such conditions, if any, to the grant as it considers necessary, to avoid, prevent or reduce and, if possible, offset the significant adverse effects on the environment of the proposed development,

(ii) in the decision, specify the features, if any, of the proposed development and the measures, if any, envisaged to avoid, prevent or reduce and, if possible, offset the significant adverse effects on the environment of the proposed development, and

(iii) subject to paragraph (b), where appropriate, specify in the decision measures to monitor the significant adverse effects on the environment of the proposed development, being measures which, as regards the types of parameters to be monitored and the duration of the monitoring, are proportionate to the nature, location and size of the proposed development and the significance of the effects on the environment of the proposed development.

(b) Where the planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, decides to grant consent for the proposed development, it may, if appropriate to avoid duplication of monitoring, and without prejudice to existing monitoring arrangements pursuant to national or European Union legislation (other than the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive), identify those arrangements (or such of those arrangements as it thinks appropriate in the particular case) to be used for the purpose of paragraph (a)(iii).]

(1J) When the planning authority or the Board, as the case may be, has decided whether to grant or to refuse consent for the proposed development, it shall inform the applicant for consent and the public of the decision and shall make the following information available to the applicant for consent and the public:

(a) the content of the decision and any conditions attached thereto;

(b) an evaluation of the direct and indirect F733[significant effects of the proposed development on the matters set out in paragraph (b) of the definition of "environmental impact assessment" in section 171A];

(c) having examined any submission or observation validly made,

(i) the main reasons and considerations on which the decision is based, and

(ii) the main reasons and considerations for the attachment of any conditions, including reasons and considerations arising from or related to submissions or observations made by a member of the public;

(d) F734[…]

(e) any report referred to in subsection (1H);

(f) information for the public on the procedures available to review the substantive and procedural legality of the decision, and

(g) the views, if any, furnished by other Member States of the European Union pursuant to section 174.]

(2) In addition to the matters set out in section 33(2), the Minister may make permission regulations in relation to the submission of planning applications which are to be accompanied by F735[environmental impact assessment reports].

(3) F736[(a)(i) At the request of an applicant or of a person intending to apply for permission, the Board may take the action specified in subparagraph (ii) after having afforded the planning authority concerned an opportunity to furnish observations on the request and where the Board is satisfied that—

(I) exceptional circumstances so warrant,

(II) the application of the requirement to prepare an environmental impact assessment report would adversely affect the purpose of the proposed development, and

(III) the objectives of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive are otherwise met.

(ii) Subject to subparagraph (iii), the Board may grant in respect of the proposed development an exemption from a requirement of or under regulations under this section to prepare an environmental impact assessment report.

(iii) No exemption may be granted under subparagraph (ii) in respect of the proposed development if another Member State of the European Union or other state party to the Transboundary Convention, having been informed about the proposed development and its likely significant effects on the environment in that State or state, as the case may be, has indicated that it intends to furnish views on those effects.]

F737[(b) The Board shall, in granting an exemption under paragraph (a), —

(i) consider whether the effects, if any, of the proposed development on the environment should be assessed in some other form, and

(ii) make available to members of the public the information relating to the exemption decision referred to under paragraph (a), the reasons for granting such exemption and the information obtained under any other form of assessment referred to in subparagraph (i),

and the Board may apply such requirements regarding these matters in relation to the application for permission as it considers necessary or appropriate.]

(c) The Board shall, as soon as may be, notify the planning authority concerned of the Board’s decision on any request made under paragraph (a), and of any requirements applied under paragraph (b).

(d) Notice of any exemption granted under paragraph (a), of the reasons for granting the exemption, and of any requirements applied under paragraph (b) shall, as soon as may be—

(i) be published in Iris Oifigiúil and in at least one daily newspaper published in the State,

(ii) be given, together with a copy of the information, if any, made available to the members of the public in accordance with paragraph (b), to the Commission of the European Communities.

(4) (a) A person who makes a request to the Board for an exemption under subsection (3) shall, as soon as may be, inform the planning authority concerned of the making of the request and the date on which it was made.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (8) of section 34, the period for making a decision referred to in that subsection shall not, in a case in which a request is made to the Board under subsection (3) of this section, include the period beginning on the day of the making of the request and ending on the day of receipt by the planning authority concerned of notice of the Board’s decision on the request.

(5) In addition to the matters provided for under Part VI, Chapter III, the Minister may prescribe additional requirements in relation to the submission of appeals to the Board which are to be accompanied by F738[environmental impact assessment reports].