COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 09, 2026

QUESTION NO. 28

QUESTION: Councillor R. Mannion

To ask the Chief Executive for a report on all financial contribution conditions attached to planning permissions granted by the Council over the past ten years, and to confirm that all contributions due have been received and to detail how and where these monies have been expended within the Council's administrative area?

REPLY: 

Under Section 48(1), when granting planning permission, the planning authority may include financial conditions requiring the payment of a contribution where a development benefits from public infrastructure or facilities provided (or intended to be provided) by or on behalf of a local authority.  
 
Financial contributions are apportioned (as legally required) through the Development Contribution Scheme to various classes of infrastructure as set out in the scheme. Typically these include transport / cycle / pedestrian facilities, surface water and flood relief works, parks, open spaces and recreational facilities, community and library facilities, economic enterprise and tourism related infrastructure etc (See Current DCS attached for ease of reference and explanation).

Invoices are issued to developers on receipt of a valid Commencement Notice and this income, along with other Council resources and central government grants is critical to the delivery of the Council's 3 Year Capital Programme which is noted annually by the Council.

Not all contributions as invoiced have been received. While payment of development contributions is rigorously pursued, outstanding development contributions can arise in predictable situations. For example where agreement has been made for payment on close of sale; where the developer completes only part of the project; where a developer enters liquidation; or in some cases where there is a phased payment arrangement put in place but payment is missed.  

Similarly, development contributions are not due in respect of all / certain types of development and adjustments may be required to accounts for exemptions as set out in the Development Contribution Scheme eg Part V units.

The following table outlines the financial value of invoices and receipts over the past 10 years and it should be noted that 

1. Payment received in any year are not necessarily relative to the year of invoice

2. Buoyancy in recent years is mainly attributed to the Temporary Development Contribution Waiver Scheme whereby in April 2023, the government agreed to pay these contributions directly to the Council to incentivise developers to activate planning permissions.  Applications for this scheme closed in February 2025 and in total over €80m has been received from central funds.

Period

Invoices

Receipts

01/01/2015 - 31/12/2025 – Cum

€373,535,779.90

€334,467,498.47

 

COMMUNITY

€89,948,411.62

 

€80,831,634.90

ECONOMIC, ENT & TOURISM

€68,459,776.22

 

€59,269,042.05

IRISH WATER

€203,285.83

 

€3,031,571.47

PARKS  

€60,729,535.06

 

€50,152,717.34

ROADS

€110,352,943.20

 

€102,680,409.69

SURFACE WATER

€43,621,540.71

 

€38,409,558.41

WATER & DRAINAGE

€220,287.36

 

€92,564.61