Mr. Brian Keaney:

I am here representing the IPI as vice-president and I thank the committee for inviting us in and allowing us to make our voice heard. It is an important Bill. The focus of planners and the planning system is on the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2021 but I go back to the point that there is a critical interface between this Bill and that Act. I am speaking on behalf of the planning profession. Heritage is valuable to the planning system and that should not be understated. One of our contributors also mentioned the value of place-making. Plan-led place-making is at the heart of the IPI’s policy position in how the planning system is evolving and changing. We are moving away from a site-by-site and development-led approach to planning towards a more wholesome and plan-led approach that then gets input from various stakeholders as we discussed today, be they communities, elected members, landowners or developers. It is important to recognise that heritage is one of those key stakeholders and is a key driver in terms of place. How we treat our heritage goes to the heart of what we value as a country and society. That is reflected in our plans and place-making and I want to reiterate that point.

The planning system, like all legislation and processes is a bit like democracy in that it continues to evolve. Speaking from the point of view of planners, we are keen that we embrace and work with our heritage colleagues to deliver better plans and to respond in the context of sustainable development to the future needs of society. Heritage is a key element of that. I echo the comments of the other speakers and I wish the committee well in the next Stage of the legislative process. The Irish Planning Institute is happy to contribute and if the committee wants clarification on any points raised today or on issues that arise through the committee’s deliberations we are more than happy to keep in contact and collaborate on this.