Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 6 March 2019

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 16 - Valuation Office (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 34 - Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (Revised)

Photo of Pat CaseyPat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On planning, I suppose the regional plans are coming online shortly. Operating both the NPF and the regional plans from the top level down is causing some problems locally. As a result of the regional plans and anticipating what will happen down the road, counties such as mine will have to undertake a complete review of their county development plans based on the regional plans. A number of significant towns have their own local area plans. One, in particular, has been rolled over twice and it has not had a review of its county development plan for nearly 12 years. Because the county development plan will have to be reviewed, which will take 18 months, it could be another two and half to three years before that area has a new plan. Equally, the Wicklow environs and Rathnew plan, which provides for a considerable area of growth, was meant to be implemented this year but will now be kicked down the road for another two years. Is there no process, especially for the likes of Newtownmountkennedy, which has not had a review for nearly 14 years, or Wicklow and Rathnew, by which they could proceed with their review? They are told legally they cannot proceed now because that has to run in line with the NPF, the regional plans and the county plans and everything has to be sequenced from the top down. I could have an argument with the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, about the urban plans. They were going the opposite way. They were directing policy from the bottom up when it came before us. Perhaps the Minister could provide clarity on that.

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