*The Law Society Skillnet discount fee is applicable to all practicing solicitors working in the private sector.  The full price of this course is €425

Please see detailed schedule here .

Aims and Objectives
This online Planning & Environmental Law Masterclass is aimed at all practitioners acting in both residential and commercial transactions. Our masterclass format includes a workshop element in each module to gain a practical and applied understanding of this area of the conveyancing process. The topics covered reflect the planning and environmental issues arising for conveyancers, in addition to an overview of the planning application and appeal process. The presenters and workshop facilitators are experts in this field. 

This masterclass will be hosted on an online learning platform (Moodle). Lectures (pre-recorded) will be released according to the schedule below. Related workshops will be held live via Zoom again according to the schedule. Comprehensive materials and other resources will be uploaded to Moodle. Participants will receive the Law Society OUP Manual as supporting material. 

Topics and Issues to be covered
Lecture/Workshop 1: 
• Planning warranty – General Condition 32
• Searches
• Planning checklist & Requisitions
• Part V/Section 96 compliance
• Opinions of compliance

Lecture/Workshop 2:
• Appeals and Judicial Review/Challenges to planning authority decisions
• Defending enforcement/prosecutions
• Planning compliance issues (7 year rule/BBL amnesty etc.)

Lecture/Workshop 3:
• The planning application (legal and procedural rules)
• An Bord Pleanála oral hearings

Lecture/Workshop 4:
• Planning bonds & Financial contributions/taking in charge issues
• S160 injunctions
• Section 5 referrals and Issues relating to exempted developments
• Section 47 agreements 
• Arrangements with Irish Water re connections and planning compliance
• CPO’s

Lecture/Workshop 5:
• Contamination Land Issues
• EIA
• Habitats Directive 
• Wastewater and waste management Law
• Due diligence and environmental warranties  
• Building energy performance  
• Obligations pursuant to Strategic Infrastructure legislation 

Learning Outcomes
At the end of workshop/masterclass participants will have gained an understanding of the topics/concepts and processes listed above and demonstrate an understanding of these in applying the knowledge gained to practical scenarios in the workshops.  

Speakers in order of appearance 

Patrick Sweetman, Partner, Matheson, Dublin
Patrick Sweetman is former head of the Commercial Property Department at Matheson.  He is a longstanding member of the Conveyancing Committee of The Law Society. Patrick has acted for a number of leading developers in Ireland, as well as receivers, banks, NAMA, and inward investors.  He has advised on many planning applications, appeals and judicial reviews, and environmental issues arising on the acquisition, development and disposal of land. He has lectured regularly on property, planning and environmental matters for The Law Society. 

Finola McCarthy, Partner, Ronan Daly Jermyn, Cork
Finola McCarthy advises on all types of construction and engineering projects both public and private sector from initial procurement through to dispute resolution. She is experienced in all principal forms of contract used in design build, EPC, construction, infrastructure and energy projects such as FIDIC, RIAI, IEI, government public works and several bespoke forms. She has extensive experience in advising local authorities and other public bodies on all aspects of public procurement and administrative law issues. Her practice includes environmental law and related project issues including health and safety and planning. She is Member of the Irish Environmental Law Association; Procurement Lawyers Association; Irish Society of European Law and Adjudication Society. She lectures widely at conferences and training workshops and is frequently published in construction industry publications.

Alan Roberts, Partner, A & L Goodbody, Dublin
Alan Roberts is a Partner in and the joint Head of the A & L Goodbody’s Environmental & Planning Unit. Alan advises on the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious environmental work including in respect of waste management law. Alan works closely with the Energy & Natural Resources, Commercial Property and Mergers & Acquisitions Groups in his firm on transactions, providing environmental and planning corporate support in respect of due diligence and he acts for purchasers, vendors and lenders. Alan also advises on interaction with regulatory enforcement agencies, third party liability claims, contaminated land clean up and the defence of environmental and health & safety prosecutions. Alan has particular expertise and experience in advising on all planning, environmental and property issues arising on the development, operation and funding of windfarms. Alan’s clients include owners, developers and funders of and private equity investors in windfarms. Alan is a member of the Irish Environmental Law Association and of the Health and Safety Lawyers Association of Ireland and regularly lectures on planning and environmental issues (including health and safety matters) to industry groups and the Law Society.


Brendan Slattery, Partner, McCann FitzGerald, Dublin 
Brendan is the head of environment and planning at McCann FitzGerald. With almost twenty years’ experience in planning and environment law, he has been recognised as an expert at national and EU level, having advised regulatory authorities, statutory bodies, local authorities and developers on the delivery of a wide range of local and national projects.  In recent years, Brendan has advised on almost every significant infrastructure project across Ireland spanning the areas of energy, transport, water, wastewater and the agri-business sector. He has lectured for the Law Society on each of the Professional Practice Course in Conveyancing, the Diploma in Commercial Conveyancing and the Diploma in Planning and Environmental Law, for Trinity College on a range of postgraduate diploma and masters courses.


Prof. Yvonne Scannell, Consultant, Arthur Cox, Dublin
Professor Scannell has extensive practical experience in environmental matters. She has been a consultant to the Environment and Planning Group at Arthur Cox since 1990. She is the author of Environmental and Planning Law and six other books on Environmental and Planning Law. Until recently, she was a Professor in the Law School, Trinity College, Dublin where she specialised in Irish and European Environmental Law and Policy. She is a judge of the European Nuclear Energy Tribunal and frequently lectures judges in China and the EU on EU Environmental Law. She was on the Advisory Board of the Environmental Protection Agency from 1994-1997 and has served on the boards of several public and private companies. Yvonne was a recipient of an honorary LL.D degree from the University of Washington and Lee in the USA and she is on the Summer Faculty of Vermont Law School, the leading US Law School. She was a founder member and first chairperson of the Irish Association of Environmental Law.

Jeanie Kelly, Senior Associate, Arthur Cox, Dublin

• Unless otherwise indicated, our Zoom webinars and meetings are held live and are not recorded. If you miss the live webinar/meeting, you cannot play back the event. You also may not avail of your CPD hours for that event.
• Attendance at live, online webinars and meetings is tracked and logged for CPD compliance purposes. This information will be shared with the Law Society CPD Scheme at their request.
• Solicitors are required to complete 25 hours CPD this year of which 80% can be completed online - See CPD Scheme
• For full programme details please download the Brochure
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• If you have technical or other queries, contact the Law Society Skillnet team on lawsocietyskillnet@lawsociety.ie