The national planning body has again delayed its decision on the proposed development of a liquefied natural gas terminal in North Kerry by the company Shannon LNG.
An Coimisiún Pleanála had previously committed to making a decision on the development by today’s date.
Correspondence issued by the Commission to interested parties says it was not possible to meet that revised timeline.
Shannon LNG Limited is seeking a 10-year planning permission for the proposed Shannon Technology and Energy Park on the Tarbert/Ballylongford landbank.
It will include a floating storage and regasification unit for liquefied natural gas, as well as onshore receiving facilities.
Part of the technology park, a 600-Megawatt power plant and battery energy storage system, were granted planning permission in March last year but are the subject of a judicial review.
The overall development had previously been refused planning in 2023, with the then-named An Bórd Pleanála citing government policy, but the High Court quashed this refusal.
The company then reactivated its application, sending it back before An Coimisiún Pleanála.
The national planning body missed its first deadline to decide on the application, of 22nd September last year, and has now missed its second deadline of today’s date.
Correspondence issued by An Coimisiún Pleanála says it has not been possible to meet that revised timeline as a consequence of the complexity of the case.
It says the case will be determined as soon as practicable, but has not yet set a new deadline for that decision.
Fine Gael councillor Michael Foley, who’s from Ballylongford, says it’s deeply frustrating the planning body is unable to reach a decision within its own stated timelines.
He says the explanation citing the complexity of the case is difficult to reconcile with the fact the application was already examined and a decision made on it in 2023.
