Forestry Act 2014

Power to charge and recover fees, etc.

25. (1) The Minister may charge such fees as may be prescribed for the following:

(a) an application for a licence, approval or registration, or

(b) any other service provided under the relevant statutory provisions,

and different fees may be charged for different classes of such licences, approvals, registrations or other services.

(2) The Minister may recover as a simple contract debt, in any court of competent jurisdiction, any amount owed in respect of a fee charged under this section.

(3) If the Minister proposes to make regulations prescribing fees referred to in subsection (1), the Minister shall cause a draft of the proposed regulations to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas, together with a statement of the Minister outlining the content, purpose and likely implications of the proposed regulations and including such other information (if any) as the Minister considers appropriate.

(4) If within such period as the Minister considers reasonable to allow for recommendations of this kind to be made by each such House (not being less than the period specified in subsection (5)) either House of the Oireachtas (or a committee of such House) makes recommendations to the Minister in relation to the draft of the proposed regulations, the Minister shall consider the recommendations and may, as he or she thinks appropriate—

(a) make the regulations in the terms of the draft laid pursuant to subsection (3), or

(b) modify the terms of the draft so laid and make the regulations in the terms as so modified.

(5) The period referred to in subsection (4) is the period of 21 days on which the House of the Oireachtas concerned next sits after the draft of the regulations is laid before it.

(6) Subsections (3) to (5) apply to regulations amending regulations that prescribe fees referred to in subsection (1) as they apply to regulations prescribing such fees.