34C.—(1) (a) The person in whose favour a relevant permission operates may, by virtue of this subsection and notwithstanding any other provision of this Act (including section 34), make an application under section 34 to the planning authority where the application is only for a relevant action to be taken.

(b) Section 34 and the other provisions of this Act shall be read with all necessary modifications to take account of the relevant application.

(c) Subsections (4) to (7) of section 9 of the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Act 2019 shall, with all necessary modifications, apply to measures and restrictions referred to in this section as those subsections apply to measures and restrictions referred to in those subsections.

(2) The planning authority shall give the competent authority a copy of the relevant application and consult with the competent authority in relation to, as appropriate, one or more of the following matters:

(a) any noise problem that would arise from taking the relevant action as proposed (including any implications that would arise therefrom in relation to appropriate assessment or environmental impact assessment matters) and any further information subsequently sought by the relevant authority from the applicant in relation to such action and given by the applicant to the planning authority and the competent authority;

(b) where a noise problem would arise from taking the relevant action as proposed—

(i) any information in the relevant application on the application of the Balanced Approach to the relevant action and any further information or plans subsequently sought by the relevant authority from the applicant in relation to the relevant action or Balanced Approach and given by the applicant to the planning authority and the competent authority,

(ii) whether noise mitigation measures or operating restrictions (if any), or any combination thereof, not proposed in the relevant application are or is required and any information or plans subsequently sought by the relevant authority from the applicant in relation to such measures or restrictions, or combination thereof, as the case may be, and given by the applicant to the planning authority and the competent authority,

(iii) any information subsequently sought by the relevant authority from the applicant in relation to the application of the Balanced Approach to the noise mitigation measures or operating restrictions, or combination thereof, referred to in subparagraph (ii) and given by the applicant to the planning authority and the competent authority, and

(iv) subject to subsection (4), whether permission could be granted for the taking of the relevant action subject to conditions specified by the competent authority relating to noise mitigation measures or operating restrictions (if any), or any combination thereof.

(3) (a) In subsection (2) and paragraph (b), ‘relevant authority’ means the planning authority or the competent authority.

(b) Where the applicant gives any information or plans referred to in subsection (2) to one relevant authority, it shall, on the same date (or as soon as is practicable thereafter), give copies of such information or plans, as the case may be, to the other relevant authority.

(4) Where this section applies and notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the planning authority shall neither decide to refuse the relevant application nor grant the relevant application subject to or without conditions until it receives a notice under subsection (5) or (15)(a)(ii) from the competent authority in respect of the relevant application.

(5) (a) Paragraph (b) applies where the competent authority is satisfied that permission should not be granted for the relevant application for the reason that inadequate provision has been made in the application (or in any plans or further information, or both, subsequently given by the applicant to the planning authority and the competent authority) to deal with the noise problem that would arise from the carrying out of the relevant action as proposed.

(b) The competent authority shall, as soon as is practicable after it is so satisfied, give a notice in writing to the planning authority, stating the competent authority’s reasons why it is so satisfied, and directing the planning authority to refuse the relevant application.

(c) The planning authority shall comply with a direction given to it under paragraph (b) as soon as is practicable after it receives the notice referred to in that paragraph and shall incorporate such notice in its decision to refuse the relevant application.

(d) Notwithstanding that a refusal referred to in paragraph (c) arises from a direction given by the competent authority to the planning authority, such refusal and the reasons for it shall, for the purposes of section 37 as read with section 37S, be treated as the decision of the planning authority on the relevant application, and the other provisions of this Act shall be construed accordingly.

(6) The planning authority shall, in determining the relevant application, consider whether taking the relevant action requires the reconsideration of any other aspect of the relevant permission and, after having consulted with the competent authority, may, in accordance with regulations made under section 33, request and consider further information from the applicant in that regard.

(7) Subsection (8) applies where the competent authority has applied the Balanced Approach to the noise problem referred to in subsection (2) and, in accordance with the Balanced Approach, assessed the noise mitigation measures or operating restrictions (if any), or any combination thereof, that may be required to be introduced, and whether or not such measures or restrictions, or combination thereof, as the case may be, are or is in addition to, or in replacement of, one or more—

(a) noise mitigation measures or operating restrictions (if any), or any combination thereof, proposed in the relevant action, or

(b) existing noise mitigation measures or operating restrictions, or combination thereof.

(8) The competent authority shall, as soon as it is practicable for it to do so, by notice in writing given to the applicant and copied to the planning authority—

(a) inform the applicant of the noise mitigation measures or operating restrictions (if any), or combination thereof, proposed to be required in a decision (if any) to grant the relevant application and its reasons for so proposing, and

(b) stating that the applicant may, within the period specified in the notice (being a period of not less than 4 weeks), make submissions or observations on such noise mitigation measures or operating restrictions (if any), or combination thereof, as the case may be, and on such reasons, including counterproposals, by notice in writing given to the competent authority and copied to the planning authority.

(9) The competent authority shall apply the Balanced Approach to its consideration of the counterproposals (if any) given to it by the applicant before the expiration of the period specified in the notice under subsection (8) concerned.

(10) Subject to subsection (11), the competent authority shall, as soon as is practicable after it complies with subsection (8) and, if applicable, subsection (9) and (at its discretion) having consulted with the applicant or any other person that it wishes to, in accordance with the Aircraft Noise Regulation and the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Act 2019, make, and publish on its website, a draft regulatory decision—

(i) on the noise mitigation measures or operating restrictions (if any), or combination thereof, that it proposes to direct the planning authority to include as conditions of the planning authority’s decision (if any) to grant the relevant application, or

(ii) that no such conditions are required to be included in the planning authority’s decision (if any) to grant the relevant application.

(11) The competent authority shall prepare, and publish on its website on the same date as the draft regulatory decision, a report in relation thereto which shall state the planning authority’s reasons for such decision and include therein, as appropriate:

(a) a summary of the data examined (including any data relating to appropriate assessment or environmental impact assessment);

(b) the noise abatement objective;

(c) the measures considered to address any noise problem;

(d) an evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of the various measures considered;

(e) the application of the Balanced Approach;

(f) the identification of additional or alternative measures (other than those proposed in the draft regulatory decision) that have been considered;

(g) particulars of any proposed noise mitigation measures and operating restrictions (if any);

(h) if applicable, the reasons for the proposed introduction of any noise mitigation measures and operating restrictions (if any);

(i) the relevant technical information in relation to any proposed noise mitigation measures and operating restrictions (if any);

(j) a non-technical summary of such of the matters concerned referred to in paragraphs (a) to (i).

(12) The competent authority shall, as soon as is practicable after it complies with subsections (10) and (11), publish, in a national newspaper, a notice—

(a) stating that the competent authority has—

(i) made a draft regulatory decision under subsection (10), and

(ii) prepared the related report under subsection (11),

(b) stating particulars of how persons may view or otherwise have access to the draft regulatory decision and related report (which shall include being able to view the decision or report, or purchase a copy of the decision or report at a reasonable cost, at the offices of the competent authority during office hours),

(c) inviting persons to make submissions or observations in writing (and to provide a return address with such submissions or observations) in the specified form (if any) on the draft regulatory decision or related report, or both, before the expiration of 14 weeks beginning on the date of publication of the notice in the national newspaper, and

(d) stating particulars of the addresses (which shall include an electronic address) to which such submissions or observations may be sent.

(13) (a) The competent authority shall, as soon as is practicable after it complies with subsections (10) and (11), give each of the applicant, the airport authority and the planning authority copies of the draft regulatory decision that it made under subsection (10) and the related report that it prepared under subsection (11).

(b) For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby declared that the applicant, the airport authority and the planning authority may each make submissions or observations referred to in subsection (12)(c) in accordance with that subsection.

(14) The competent authority shall, as soon as is practicable after the expiration of the 14 weeks referred to in subsection (12)(c) and having regard to the submissions and observations (if any) referred to in that subsection received by it within such 14 weeks—

(a) make a regulatory decision consisting of the adoption by it of the draft regulatory decision made by it under subsection (10) without any amendments or with such amendments as it considers appropriate, and

(b) revise the related report prepared under subsection (11) to take into account such submissions and observations (if any) and such adoption and to state the competent authority’s reasons for such regulatory decision.

(15) The competent authority shall—

(a) as soon as is practicable after it complies with subsection (14)—

(i) publish on its website the regulatory decision it has adopted under subsection (14)(a) and the related report it has revised under subsection (14)(b), and

(ii) send a copy of such decision, together with a copy of the notice referred to in paragraph (b) (whether before or after the notice is published), to the applicant, the airport authority, the planning authority, the elected members of FCC, the elected members of Dáil Éireann in whose constituencies the airport is located and the return addresses of the persons who have made submissions or observations referred to in subsection (12)(c) in accordance with that subsection on the draft regulatory decision or related report concerned,

and

(b) as soon as is practicable after it complies with paragraph (a)(i), publish, in a national newspaper, a notice stating—

(i) that the competent authority has adopted a regulatory decision under subsection (14)(a),

(ii) that the competent authority has revised the related report under subsection (14)(b),

(iii) particulars of how persons may view or otherwise have access to such regulatory decision and such related report (which shall include being able to view the decision or report, or purchase a copy of the decision or report at a reasonable cost, at the offices of the competent authority during office hours), and

(iv) that a right to appeal to the Board against the regulatory decision exists under section 37 as read with section 37R.

(16) (a) The planning authority shall—

(i) incorporate the competent authority’s regulatory decision under subsection (14)(a), the subject of the notice given to the planning authority under subsection (15)(a)(ii), and the competent authority’s reasons for such decision in the planning authority’s decision on the application and shall do so regardless of whether the planning authority’s decision is to refuse the relevant application or to grant the relevant application, and

(ii) notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, if necessary, revoke, revoke and replace, or amend the terms of, a condition of the relevant permission in order to make the relevant permission compatible with that regulatory decision.

(b) Notwithstanding that a regulatory decision referred to in paragraph (a) is a decision made by the competent authority, such decision and the reasons for it shall, for the purposes of section 37 as read with section 37R, be treated as the decision of the planning authority on the relevant application, and the other provisions of this Act shall be construed accordingly.

(c) The planning authority shall make its decision on the application as soon as is practicable after it receives, pursuant to subsection (15)(a)(ii), a copy of the competent authority’s regulatory decision under subsection (14)(a).

(17) Subject to subsection (18), a noise mitigation measure to be introduced by virtue of a regulatory decision adopted under subsection (14)(a) shall—

(a) if no appeal under section 37 as read with section 37R is made, within the appropriate period referred to in section 37(1), against the planning authority’s decision on the application, come into effect on the expiration of such appropriate period, and

(b) after so coming into effect, remain in effect until revoked, or revoked and replaced, by the competent authority or the appeal body.

(18) The competent authority may, by notice published on its website on the same date as the regulatory decision adopted under subsection (14)(a) is, pursuant to subsection (15)(a), also so published—

(a) authorise, for reasons stated in the notice, a lead in time for the coming into effect of a noise mitigation measure to be introduced by virtue of that decision, and

(b) specify the date, or the occurrence of the event, on which such noise mitigation measure shall come into effect.

(19) Subject to section 26 (b) of the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Act 2019, the competent authority shall, in relation to an operating restriction to be introduced by virtue of a regulatory decision adopted under subsection (14)(a), take such steps as it considers appropriate to cause Article 8 of the Aircraft Noise Regulation to be complied with as soon as is practicable after it applies to such restriction.

(20) Subject to subsection (21), an operating restriction referred to in subsection (19) shall—

(a) come into effect on the day immediately following the day on which the operation of Article 8 of the Aircraft Noise Regulation ceases to further prevent the coming into effect of the operating restriction, and

(b) after so coming into effect, remain in effect until revoked, or revoked and replaced, by the competent authority or the appeal body.

(21) The competent authority may, by notice published on its website at any time before the day first-mentioned in subsection (20)(a)—

(a) authorise, for reasons stated in the notice, a lead in time for the coming into effect of the operating restriction referred to in subsection (19), and

(b) specify the date, or the occurrence of the event, on which such operating restriction shall come into effect.

(22) In this Part, health aspects shall be assessed in accordance with Environmental Noise Directive and the European Communities (Environmental Noise) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 549 of 2018).

(23) In this section—

"relevant action", in relation to a relevant operating restriction the subject of a relevant application, means—

(a) to revoke the operating restriction,

(b) to amend the terms of the operating restriction in the manner specified in the application,

(c) to replace the operating restriction with the alternative operating restriction specified in the application,

(d) to take an action referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) together with introducing new noise mitigation measures or revoking, revoking and replacing, or amending the terms of, existing noise mitigation measures, or a combination thereof,

(e) if the relevant application relates to 2 or more relevant operating restrictions, to take any combination of any of the actions referred to in paragraphs (a) to (d), or

(f) to take an action referred to in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) together with revoking, revoking and replacing, or amending the terms of, a condition of the relevant permission;

"relevant application" means an application referred to in subsection (1)(a);

"relevant operating restriction", in relation to a relevant permission, means an operating restriction included in that permission;

"relevant permission" means a permission granted under section 34—

(a) for development at the airport, and

(b) that includes an operating restriction.]