asked the Minister for the Environment when the charging of fees for planning applications by local authorities was authorised.

The Local Government (Planning and Development) (Fees and Amendment) Regulations, 1983 (S.I. No. 30 of 1983) came into operation on 7 March, 1983 in relation to the payment to planning authorities of planning application fees. Certain exemptions from a requirement to pay fees were provided for in the Local Government (Planning and Development) (Exemption from Fees) Regulations, 1984 (S.I. No. 1 of 1984). The aforementioned Regulations were revoked and replaced, in so far as they related to planning fees, by the Local Government (Planning and Development) (Fees) Regulations, 1984 (S.I. No. 358 of 1984) which came into operation on 5 February, 1985.