Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A national planning statement could have a positive impact on any development plan that is out there. It will guide the decisions that are made by the planners, not just on the development plan itself, the written statement and the objectives within it. It is a living thing. It is not just that there is a national planning statement and it takes effect from next year. A national planning statement could be on a range of matters, as we discussed. It could be on building height or some other area. I will not dwell on the point but this is a procedural piece around a checklist of what a planner should have regard to when he or she is making an assessment. It is not unlike the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities, where there is a design checklist outlining what the planner should go through. Obviously decisions need to be appropriate in the context of the national planning statements and what the State wants to do in areas like densification, for example. Have we made sure that there is proper and effective utilisation of the land we have with better compact growth design?

Are the Deputies saying that a planner should make a decision but would do not have regard to or assess these? Effectively, that is the counterpoint to what the Deputies are putting forward. I doubt that is what the planning institute is saying. It is effectively ensuring that what is relevant in respect of national statements, which guidelines like these will become, would be assessed in making a decision. I cannot understand why anyone would want to delete that.

It does not get into discretion or anything about specific design and what might be appropriate to a certain town or village, what is in the typography of a site or whatever. If we take this as an example that has been well received, we need to ensure that when the Government makes decisions based on broad consultation with stakeholders once this is in force, those decisions are consistent with the national planning statements. It makes sense. It does not make any sense to say that there should be no regard had to them.