50.—(1) Where a question of law arises on any matter with which the Board is concerned, the Board may refer the question to the High Court for decision.

(2) A person shall not question the validity of any decision made or other act done by—

(a) a planning authority, a local authority or the Board in the performance or purported performance of a function under this Act,

(b) the Board in the performance or purported performance of a function transferred under F463[Part XIV,]

(c) a local authority in the performance or purported performance of a function conferred by an enactment specified in section 214 relating to the compulsory acquisition of F463[land, or]

F464[(d) without prejudice to the right of appeal referred to in section 37 as read with section 37R—

(i) the competent authority (within the meaning of the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Act 2019), or

(ii) the Board in its capacity as the appeal body from decisions of such competent authority,]

otherwise than by way of an application for judicial review under Order 84 of the Rules of the Superior Courts (S.I. No. 15 of 1986) (the "Order").

(3) Subsection (2)(a) does not apply to an approval or consent referred to in Chapter I or II of Part VI.

(4) A planning authority, a local authority or the Board may, at any time after the bringing of an application for leave to apply for judicial review of any decision or other act to which subsection (2) applies and which relates to a matter for the time being before the authority or the Board, as the case may be, apply to the High Court to stay the proceedings pending the making of a decision by the authority or the Board in relation to the matter concerned.

(5) On the making of such an application, the High Court may, where it considers that the matter before the authority or the Board is within the jurisdiction of the authority or the Board, make an order staying the proceedings concerned on such terms as it thinks fit.

(6) Subject to subsection (8), an application for leave to apply for judicial review under the Order in respect of a decision or other act to which subsection (2)(a) applies shall be made within the period of 8 weeks beginning on the date of the decision or, as the case may be, the date of the doing of the act by the planning authority, the local authority or the Board, as appropriate.

(7) Subject to subsection (8), an application for leave to apply for judicial review under the Order in respect of a decision or other act to which subsection (2)(b) or (c) applies shall be made within the period of 8 weeks beginning on the date on which notice of the decision or act was first sent (or as may be the requirement under the relevant enactment, functions under which are transferred under Part XIV or which is specified in section 214, was first published).

(8) The High Court may extend the period provided for in subsection (6) or (7) within which an application for leave referred to in that subsection may be made but shall only do so if it is satisfied that—

(a) there is good and sufficient reason for doing so, and

(b) the circumstances that resulted in the failure to make the application for leave within the period so provided were outside the control of the applicant for the extension.

(9) References in this section to the Order shall be construed as including references to the Order as amended or replaced (with or without modification) by rules of court.]