John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

New service indicators are now in place. Planning authorities will be asked each year to provide the following information in respect of the previous year — the number of residential estates for which the planning permission has expired in respect of which formal written requests for taking in charge were made either by residents or developers; the number of estates taken in charge in the year in question; the total number of dwellings in these estates; the number of estates not completed to the satisfaction of the planning authority in line with the planning permission, in respect of which requests were received; the number of such estates in respect of which enforcement action was taken in the year in question and-or whether the bond was called in; and the number of such estates in respect of which works were undertaken by the authority to bring the estate to a taking in charge standard. Those are the main elements of the new service indicators and they will definitely have an effect.

I take on board the comments made by Deputy Varadkar about bonds. Deputies have asked about direction. The main elements of the policy guidance will be incorporated into the new sustainable residential development guidelines which are currently available for public consultation. They will be issued later this year under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. Planning authorities are obliged to have regard to such guidelines in the exercise of their functions under the Planning Acts.

The question posed by Deputy Barrett is also important. The preservation of green space must be a priority. One of the things I noticed on taking office is that we do not have either a landscape or a parks policy. I would regard such policies as being essential components to enhancing people's quality of life or to preserving existing quality of life which would deteriorate if there was a shortage of green space. I know that in the case of green space which is supposed to be protected, this can be gradually eroded. The Deputy's point is valid and I will make this a priority.

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