Ms Claragh Mulhern:

We earlier referenced critical land for infrastructure, and UDZs in particular, for the purposes of compulsory acquisition. There is nothing to stop the State using existing powers of compulsory acquisition. In the review of the planning Bill, there is some streamlining of the processes in that regard. The Law Reform Commission has been examining this area. Compulsory acquisition powers are there and can be used. As the Deputy mentioned, sometimes they are not actually necessary and the threat of their use might be enough. We are trying to call out that providing not only the actual infrastructure but the land that is required for the infrastructure is crucial for the successful delivery of UDZs. Perhaps that is reflective of some of the lessons we have taken away from SDZs. From the outset, we need to identify where we need to put the transport infrastructure, parks and schools. It is about reserving those lands for those focused areas. For UDZs, with their scale and potential for delivery, such an approach is crucial to ensuring they can be delivered on the ground in a timely manner. Prioritisation, funding and governance arrangements are required. Everybody must get around the table, including Uisce Éireann and whoever else needs to be there for transport and so on.

More broadly, outside UDZs, CPOs can also be used by local authorities. They are being used by several local authorities for more small-scale projects. We would certainly welcome their use, where necessary, beyond that. There is nothing to prevent the use of CPOs. It is just that we are calling it out specifically in respect of the critical land for infrastructure and UDZs.