2.—(1) In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—

F2["abstraction" has the same meaning as in the Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Act 2022;]

F2["abstraction licence" means a licence granted by the Environmental Protection Agency under Part 5 of the Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Act 2022;]

“acquisition of land” shall be construed in accordance with section 213(2), and cognate words shall be construed accordingly;

“the Act of 1919” means the Acquisition of Land (Assessment of Compensation) Act, 1919;

F3["Act of 1933" means the Foreshore Act 1933;]

“the Act of 1934” means the Town and Regional Planning Act, 1934;

“the Act of 1963” means the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963;

“the Act of 1976” means the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1976;

“the Act of 1982” means the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1982;

“the Act of 1983” means the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1983;

“the Act of 1990” means the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1990;

“the Act of 1992” means the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1992;

“the Act of 1993” means the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1993;

“the Act of 1998” means the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1998;

“the Act of 1999” means the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1999;

F4["Act of 2001" means the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001;

"Act of 2006" means the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006;

"Act of 2007" means the Water Services Act 2007;

"Act of 2008" means the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008;

"Act of 2010" means the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010;]

F4["adaptation to climate change" means the taking of measures to manage the impacts of climate change;]

“advertisement” means any word, letter, model, balloon, inflatable structure, kite, poster, notice, device or representation employed for the purpose of advertisement, announcement or direction;

“advertisement structure” means any structure which is a hoarding, scaffold, framework, pole, standard, device or sign (whether illuminated or not) and which is used or intended for use for exhibiting advertisements or any attachment to a building or structure used for advertising purposes;

“agriculture” includes horticulture, fruit growing, seed growing, dairy farming, the breeding and keeping of livestock (including any creature kept for the production of food, wool, skins or fur, or for the purpose of its use in the farming of land), the training of horses and the rearing of bloodstock, the use of land as grazing land, meadow land, osier land, market gardens and nursery grounds, and “agricultural” shall be construed accordingly;

F4["allotment" means an area of land comprising not more than 1,000 square metres let or available for letting to and cultivation by one or more than one person who is a member of the local community and lives adjacent or near to the allotment, for the purpose of the production of vegetables or fruit mainly for consumption by the person or a member of his or her family;]

“alteration” includes—

(a) plastering or painting or the removal of plaster or stucco, or

(b) the replacement of a door, window or roof,

that materially alters the external appearance of a structure so as to render the appearance inconsistent with the character of the structure or neighbouring structures;

F4["anthropogenic" in relation to greenhouse gas emissions means those emissions that result from or are produced by human activity or intervention;]

“appeal” means an appeal to the Board;

F4["appropriate assessment" shall be construed in accordance with section 177R;]

“architectural conservation area” shall be construed in accordance with section 81(1);

“area of special planning control” shall be construed in accordance with section 85(8);

“attendant grounds”, in relation to a structure, includes land lying outside the curtilage of the structure;

F5["Birds Directive" means Directive 2009/147/EC⁹ of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds;]

“Board” means An Board Pleanála;

“chairperson” means the chairperson of the Board,

F6["chief executive", in relation to a local authority, including a local authority exercising functions as a planning authority, means the chief executive appointed under Chapter 2 of Part 14 (as amended by section 54 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014) of the Local Government Act 2001;]

F3["coastal planning authority" has the meaning assigned to it by the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021;]

“Commissioners” means the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland;

“company”, except in section 149(5), means a company within the meaning of section 2 of the Companies Act, 1963, or a company incorporated outside the State;

F7["confirmation notice" means the confirmation notice sent pursuant to article 97B(2) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 600 of 2001) following the entering onto the EIA portal of the information referred to in article 97A of those Regulations to which that notice relates;]

F4["core strategy" shall be construed in accordance with section 10 (inserted by section 7 of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010);]

F8[…]

“dangerous substance” has the meaning assigned to it by the Major Accidents Directive;

“deputy chairperson” means the deputy chairperson of the Board;

“development” has the meaning assigned to it by section 3, and “develop” shall be construed accordingly;

“development plan” means a development plan under section 9(1);

F9["DTA" means the body formerly known as the Dublin Transport Authority whose name was changed with effect from 1 December 2009 to the National Transport Authority pursuant to section 30 of the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009;]

F10["EIA portal" means the website referred to in section 172A;]

F4["electronic form" means information that is generated, communicated, processed, sent, received, recorded, stored or displayed by electronic means and is capable of being used to make a legible copy or reproduction of that communicated information but does not include information communicated in the form of speech and such electronic means includes electrical, digital, magnetic, optical electro-magnetic, biometric, photonic and any other form of related technology;]

“endangered” means exposed to harm, decay or damage, whether immediately or over a period of time, through neglect or through direct or indirect means;

“enforcement notice” means an enforcement notice under section 154;

F4["Environmental impact assessment" has the meaning given to it by section 171A;

F11["Environmental Impact Assessment Directive" means Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011³ on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014⁴ amending Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment;]]

F12["environmental impact assessment report" means a report of the effects, if any, which proposed development, if carried out, would have on the environment and shall include the information specified in Annex IV of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive;]

F5["European site" has the meaning given to it by section 177R of Part XAB;]

F13["European Union" means European Union within the meaning of the European Communities Act 1972 (No. 27 of 1972);]

“exempted development” has the meaning specified in section 4;

“exhibit”, in relation to an advertisement, includes affix, inscribe, print, paint, illuminate and otherwise delineate;

“existing establishment” has the meaning that it has in the Major Accidents Directive;

“fence” includes a hoarding or similar structure but excludes any bank, wall or other similar structure composed wholly or mainly of earth or stone;

F4["flood risk assessment" means an assessment of the likelihood of flooding, the potential consequences arising and measures, if any, necessary to manage those consequences;]

F14["functional area" means, in relation to a planning authority, its administrative area for the purposes of the Local Government Acts 1925 to 2014;]

“functions” includes powers and duties;

F15["Greater Dublin Area" ("GDA") has the meaning assigned to it by section 3 of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008;]

“habitable house” means a house which—

(a) is used as a dwelling,

(b) is not in use but when last used was used, disregarding any unauthorised use, as a dwelling and is not derelict, or

(c) was provided for use as a dwelling but has not been occupied;

F5["Habitats Directive" means Council Directive 92/43/EEC¹⁰ of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, amended by Corrigendum to Council Directive 92/43/EEC¹¹ of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora amended by Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Austria, the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded¹²; Council Directive 97/62/EC¹³ of 27 October 1997 adapting to technical and scientific progress Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora; Act concerning the conditions of accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic and the adjustments to the Treaties on which the European Union is founded¹⁴, and Council Directive 2006/105/EC¹⁵ of 20 November 2006 adapting Directives 73/239/EEC, 74/557/EEC and 2002/83/EC in the field of environment, by reason of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania;]

“house” means a building or part of a building which is being or has been occupied as a dwelling or was provided for use as a dwelling but has not been occupied, and where appropriate, includes a building which was designed for use as 2 or more dwellings or a flat, an apartment or other dwelling within such a building;

F4["housing strategy" means a strategy included in a development plan under section 94;]

“integrated pollution control licence” means a licence under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1992;

“land” includes any structure and any land covered with water (whether inland or coastal);

F4["landscape" has the same meaning as it has in Article 1 of the European Landscape Convention done at Florence on 20 October 2000;

F16["large-scale residential development" means a development that includes—

(a) the development of 100 or more houses,

(b) the development of student accommodation that includes 200 or more bed spaces,

(c) both the development of 100 or more houses and of student accommodation, or

(d) both the development of student accommodation that includes 200 or more bed spaces and of houses,

where the LRD floor space of—

(i) in the case of paragraph (a), the buildings comprising the houses,

(ii) in the case of paragraph (b), the student accommodation,

(iii) in the case of paragraphs (c) and (d), the buildings comprising the houses and the student accommodation,

is not less than 70 per cent, or such other percentage as may be prescribed, of the LRD floor space of the buildings comprising the development;]]

“local area plan” means a local area plan under section 18;

F17["local authority" means a local authority for the purposes of the Local Government Act 2001 (as amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014);]

F16["LRD" means large-scale residential development;]

F16["LRD appeal" means an appeal against a decision of a planning authority that relates to an application for permission to which section 32A(1) applies;]

F16["LRD meeting" means a meeting in accordance with sections 32B and 32C;]

F16["LRD opinion" has the meaning given to it by section 32D;]

F16["LRD floor space", in relation to a building or part of a building, means the area ascertained by the internal measurement of the floor space on each floor of a building or part of a building (including internal walls and partitions), disregarding any floor space provided for—

(a) the parking of vehicles by persons—

(i) occupying or using the building or the part of the building,

(ii) for a purpose incidental to the primary purpose of the building or part of the building,

and

(b) ancillary residential services, including gyms and child-care facilities;]

“major accident” has the meaning assigned to it by the Major Accidents Directive;

F5["Major Accidents Directive" means Council Directive 96/82/EC of 9 December 1996¹⁶ amended by Directive 2003/105/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 16 December 2003¹⁷;]

F18[…]

F3["maritime area" has the meaning assigned to it by the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021;]

F3["maritime area consent" has the meaning assigned to it by the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021;]

F3["maritime site" means a part of the maritime area, and includes—

(a) the waters of that part of the maritime area,

(b) the seabed in that part of the maritime area, and

(c) all substrata beneath the seabed in that part of the maritime area;]

F3["maritime spatial plan" has the meaning assigned to it by the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021;]

F3["maritime spatial planning" means—

(a) maritime spatial planning within the meaning of Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014²⁶, and

(b) land-sea interactions within the meaning of that Directive;]

F19[“mine” means an excavation or system of excavations made for the purpose of, or in connection with, the getting, wholly or substantially by means involving the employment of persons below ground, of minerals (whether in their natural state or in solution or suspension) or products of minerals;

“minerals” includes stone, slate, clay, gravel, sand and other natural deposits except peat;]

“Minister” means the Minister for the Environment and Local Government;

F3["National Marine Planning Framework" has the meaning assigned to it by the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021;]

F3["national newspaper" has the meaning assigned to it by the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021;]

F20["National Spatial Strategy" means the "National Spatial Strategy: 2002 – 2020" published by the Government on 28 November 2002, or any document published by the Government which amends or replaces that Strategy;]

F4["Natura 2000 network" has the meaning assigned to it by Article 3, paragraph 1 of the Habitats Directive;

"Natura impact statement" shall be construed in accordance with section 177T;

"Natura impact report" shall be construed in accordance with section 177T;]

F3["nearshore area" has the meaning assigned to it by the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021;]

“new establishment” has the meaning that it has in the Major Accidents Directive;

F21["NTA" means the National Transport Authority, being the name to which the name of the Dublin Transport Authority was changed with effect from 1 December 2009 pursuant to section 30 of the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009;]

F3["objectives of maritime spatial planning" means—

(a) those matters to which the State is required, in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 5 of Directive 2014/89/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014, to give consideration when establishing and implementing maritime spatial planning,

(b) those matters to which the State is required, in accordance with paragraph 2 of the said Article 5, to aim to contribute through maritime spatial plans, and

(c) objectives that the State is, for the time being, seeking to pursue in accordance with the second sentence of the said paragraph 2;]

“occupier”, in relation to a protected structure or a proposed protected structure, means—

(a) any person in or entitled to immediate use or enjoyment of the structure,

(b) any person entitled to occupy the structure, and

(c) any other person having, for the time being, control of the structure;

F22["operator" in relation to a quarry means a person who at all material times is in charge of the carrying on of quarrying activities at a quarry or under whose direction such activities are carried out;]

“ordinary member” means a member of the Board other than the chairperson;

F3["outer maritime area" means that part of the maritime area that is not within the nearshore area of any coastal planning authority;]

“owner”, in relation to land, means a person, other than a mortgagee not in possession, who, whether in his or her own right or as trustee or agent for any other person, is entitled to receive the rack rent of the land or, where the land is not let at a rack rent, would be so entitled if it were so let;

“party to an appeal or referral” means the planning authority and any of the following persons, as appropriate—

(a) the appellant,

(b) the applicant for any permission in relation to which an appeal is made by another person (other than a person acting on behalf of the appellant),

(c) in the case of a referral under section 5, the person making the referral, and any other person notified under subsection (2) of that section,

(d) in the case of a referral under section 34(5), the applicant for the permission which was granted,

(e) in the case of a referral under section 37(5), the person who made the application for permission which was returned by the planning authority,

(f) any person served or issued by a planning authority with a notice or order, or copy thereof, under sections 44, 45, 46, 88 and 207,

F23[(ff) in the case of a referral under section 57(8), the person making the referral,]

(g) in the case of a referral under section 96(5), a prospective party to an agreement under section 96(2),

(h) in the case of an appeal under section 169, the development agency,

(i) in the case of a referral under section 193, the person by whom the application for permission for erection of the new structure was made,

(j) the applicant for a licence under section 254 in relation to which an appeal is made by another person (other than a person acting on behalf of the appellant),

and “party” shalcl be construed accordingly;

F24["permission" means a permission granted under F25[section 34, 37G, 37N or 293], as appropriate;]

F25["permission regulations" means regulations under section 33, 37P, 172(2), 174 or 306;]

F5["planning application" means an application to a planning authority, or the Board, as the case may be, in accordance with permission regulations for permission for the development of land required by those regulations;]

F26["planning authority" means a local authority;]

“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister and “prescribe” shall be construed accordingly;

“proposed protected structure” means a structure in respect of which a notice is issued under section 12(3) or under section 55 proposing to add the structure, or a specified part of it, to a record of protected structures, and, where that notice so indicates, includes any specified feature which is within the attendant grounds of the structure and which would not otherwise be included in this definition;

F16["prospective LRD applicant" has the meaning given to it by section 32A;]

“protected structure” means—

(a) a structure, or

(b) a specified part of a structure,

which is included in a record of protected structures, and, where that record so indicates, includes any specified feature which is within the attendant grounds of the structure and which would not otherwise be included in this definition;

“protection”, in relation to a structure or part of a structure, includes conservation, preservation and improvement compatible with maintaining the character and interest of the structure or part;

“public place” means any street, road, seashore or other place to which the public have access whether as of right or by permission and whether subject to or free of charge;

“public road” has the same meaning as in the Roads Act, 1993;

F27[“quarry” means an excavation or system of excavations made for the purpose of, or in connection with, the getting of minerals (whether in their natural state or in solution or suspension) or products of minerals, being neither a mine nor merely a well or bore-hole or a well and bore-hole combined, and shall be deemed to include—

(i) any place on the surface surrounding or adjacent to the quarry occupied together with the quarry for the storage or removal of the minerals or for the purposes of a process ancillary to the getting of minerals, including the breaking, crushing, grinding, screening, washing or dressing of such minerals but, subject thereto, does not include any place at which any manufacturing process is carried on;

(ii) any place occupied by the owner of a quarry and used for depositing refuse from it but any place so used in connection with two or more quarries, and occupied by the owner of one of them, or by the owners of any two or more in common, shall be deemed to form part of such one of those quarries as the Minister may direct;

(iii) any line or siding (not being part of a railway) serving a quarry but, if serving two or more quarries shall be deemed to form part of such one of them as the Minister may direct;

(iv) a conveyor or aerial ropeway provided for the removal from a quarry of minerals or refuse.]

“record of protected structures” means the record included under section 51 in a development plan;

F28["referral" means a referral to the Board under section 5, 34(5), 37(5), 57, 96(5) or 193(2);]

F29["regional assembly" means a body established in accordance with section 43 (as amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014) of the Local Government Act 1991;]

F30["regional assemblies in respect of the GDA" means regional assemblies established in accordance with section 43 (as amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014) of the Local Government Act 1991, in respect of a region or regions which includes all or part of the Greater Dublin Area for the purposes of section 3 of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008;]

F31["regional spatial and economic strategy" means regional spatial and economic strategy made under Chapter III of Part II;]

“register” means the register kept under section 7;

“registering authority” means a registering authority within the meaning of the Registration of Title Act, 1964;

F32["reserved function", in relation to a local authority, shall be construed in accordance with section 131 (as amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014) of the Local Government Act 2001;]

“risk” has the meaning assigned to it by the Major Accidents Directive;

“road” has the same meaning as in the Roads Act, 1993;

“seashore” has the same meaning as in the Foreshore Act, 1933;

F4["service connection" has the meaning given to it by section 2 of the Act of 2007;

"settlement hierarchy" has the meaning given to it by section 10(2C) (inserted by section 7 of the Act of 2010); ]

“shares” includes stock and “share capital” shall be construed accordingly;

“special amenity area order” means an order confirmed under section 203;

“State authority” means—

(a) a Minister of the Government, or

(b) the Commissioners;

“statutory undertaker” means a person, for the time being, authorised by or under any enactment or instrument under an enactment to—

(a) construct or operate a railway, canal, inland navigation, dock, harbour or airport,

(b) provide, or carry out works for the provision of, gas, electricity or telecommunications services, or

(c) provide services connected with, or carry out works for the purposes of the carrying on of the activities of, any public undertaking;

F4["strategic development zone" has the meaning given to it by section 165; ]

F33["strategic downstream gas pipeline" means any proposed gas pipeline, other than an upstream gas pipeline, which is designed to operate at 16 bar or greater, and is longer than 20 kilometres in length;

F4["strategic environmental assessment" means an assessment carried out in accordance with regulations made under section 10(5), 13(12), 19(4), 23(3), or 168(3) as the case may be;]

"strategic gas infrastructure development" means any proposed development comprising or for the purposes of a strategic downstream gas pipeline or a strategic upstream gas pipeline, and associated terminals, buildings and installations, whether above or below ground, including any associated discharge pipe;

"strategic infrastructure development" means—

(a) any proposed development in respect of which a notice has been served under section 37B(4)(a),

(b) any proposed development by a local authority referred to in section 175(1) or F34[subsection (3) or (6) of section 226],

F35[(c) any proposed development referred to in section 181A(1) which has been identified as likely to have significant effects on the environment in accordance with regulations made under section 176,]

(d) any proposed development referred to in section 182A(1),

(e) any proposed strategic gas infrastructure development referred to in section 182C(1),

(f) any scheme or proposed road development referred to in section 215,

(g) any proposed railway works referred to in section 37(3) of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 (as amended by the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006), or

F36[(h) any compulsory acquisition of land referred to in section 214, 215A, 215B or 215C, being an acquisition related to development specified in any of the preceding paragraphs of this definition;]

"Strategic Infrastructure Division" means the division of the Board referred to in section 112A(1);

"strategic upstream gas pipeline" means so much of any gas pipeline proposed to be operated or constructed—

(a) as part of a gas production project, or

(b) for the purpose of conveying unprocessed natural gas from one or more than one such project to a processing plant or terminal or final coastal landing terminal,

as will be situate in the functional area or areas of a planning authority or planning authorities;]

“structure” means any building, structure, excavation, or other thing constructed or made on, in or under any land, or any part of a structure so defined, and—

(a) where the context so admits, includes the land on, in or under which the structure is situate, and

(b) in relation to a protected structure or proposed protected structure, includes—

(i) the interior of the structure,

(ii) the land lying within the curtilage of the structure,

(iii) any other structures lying within that curtilage and their interiors, and

(iv) all fixtures and features which form part of the interior or exterior of any structure or structures referred to in subparagraph (i) or (iii);

F16["student accommodation" means a building or part thereof used, or to be used, for the sole purpose (subject to paragraph (b)) of providing residential accommodation to students during academic term times, whether or not provided by a relevant provider (within the meaning of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012 ), and that is not used, or to be used,—

(a) as permanent residential accommodation, or

(b) as a hotel, hostel, apart-hotel or similar type accommodation other than for the purposes of providing residential accommodation to tourists or visitors outside of academic term times;]

F4["substitute consent" has the meaning given to it by section 177A;]

“substratum of land” means any subsoil or anything beneath the surface of land required—

(a) for the purposes of a tunnel or tunnelling or anything connected therewith, or

(b) for any other purpose connected with a scheme within the meaning of the Roads Act, 1993;

F37["this Act" includes a statutory instrument made thereunder;]

“Transboundary Convention” means the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, done at Espoo (Finland), on 25 February, 1991;

F15["transport strategy" has the meaning assigned to it by section 12 of the Dublin Transport Authority Act 2008;]

“traveller” means a traveller within the meaning of section 2 of the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act, 1998;

“unauthorised development” means, in relation to land, the carrying out of any unauthorised works (including the construction, erection or making of any unauthorised structure) or the making of any unauthorised use;

“unauthorised structure” means a structure other than—

(a) a structure which was in existence on 1 October 1964, or

(b) a structure, the construction, erection or making of which was the subject of a permission for development granted under Part IV of the Act of 1963 or deemed to be such under section 92 of that Act F24[or under F25[section 34, 37G or 37N or 293] of this Act], being a permission which has not been revoked, or which exists as a result of the carrying out of exempted development (within the meaning of section 4 of the Act of 1963 or section 4 of this Act);

“unauthorised use” means, in relation to land, use commenced on or after 1 October 1964, being a use which is a material change in use of any structure or other land and being development other than—

(a) exempted development (within the meaning of section 4 of the Act of 1963 or section 4 of this Act), or

(b) development which is the subject of a permission granted under Part IV of the Act of 1963 F24[or under F25[section 34, 37G, 37N or 293] of this Act], being a permission which has not been revoked, and which is carried out in compliance with that permission or any condition to which that permission is subject;

“unauthorised works” means any works on, in, over or under land commenced on or after 1 October 1964, being development other than—

(a) exempted development (within the meaning of section 4 of the Act of 1963 or section 4 of this Act), or

(b) development which is the subject of a permission granted under Part IV of the Act of 1963 F24[or under F25[section 34, 37G, 37N or 293] of this Act], being a permission which has not been revoked, and which is carried out in compliance with that permission or any condition to which that permission is subject;

“use”, in relation to land, does not include the use of the land by the carrying out of any works thereon;

“warning letter” means a notification in writing under section 152(1);

“waste licence” means a waste licence under Part V of the Waste Management Act, 1996;

“works” includes any act or operation of construction, excavation, demolition, extension, alteration, repair or renewal and, in relation to a protected structure or proposed protected structure, includes any act or operation involving the application or removal of plaster, paint, wallpaper, tiles or other material to or from the surfaces of the interior or exterior of a structure.

(2) In this Act—

(a) a reference to a section, Schedule, Chapter or Part is to a section, Schedule, Chapter or Part of this Act, unless it is indicated that reference to some other enactment is intended, and

(b) a reference to a subsection, paragraph or subparagraph is to the subsection, paragraph or subparagraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that reference to some other provision is intended.

(3) In this Act, a reference to the carrying out of development on behalf of a State authority shall, where that authority is a Minister of the Government, be construed as including a reference to the carrying out of development by the Commissioners on behalf of the Minister.

(4) A reference in this Act to contravention of a provision includes, where appropriate, a reference to refusal or failure to comply with that provision.

(5) A reference in this Act to performance of functions includes a reference to the exercise of powers and the performance of duties.

(6) A reference in this Act to any other enactment shall, except where the context otherwise requires, be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended by or under any other enactment, including this Act.

(7) The doing of anything that is required under this Act to be done by resolution shall be a reserved function.

F38[(8) Subject to this Act, a word or expression that is used in this Act and that is also used in the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive has, unless the context otherwise requires, the same meaning in this Act as it has in that Directive.]