John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

We must ensure our policies are well grounded and targeted to new realities and that those who must operate within these policy spheres can do so with the minimum of regulation. There have been numerous calls for better planning regulation. I am happy to inform the House that I will act to streamline the planning system through a new planning and development (amendment) Bill which I hope to publish shortly. My primary aim is achieve a greater coherence between the national spatial strategy, regional planning guidelines and development and local area plans, in particular in so far as the zoning of land is concerned, to secure a better return from our investment on infrastructure.

I will also take this opportunity to modernise the foreshore consent process and the legislation underpinning it to provide for an accelerated timeline for the granting of licences that will facilitate the achievement of high renewable energy targets. I refer to the target of achieving 40% by 2020, for example. This will be an important step forward. The key objective will be to offer a better service to all stakeholders, including Government infrastructure providers, State bodies and the public, through a model that fully integrates and streamlines estate management on the State-owned foreshore with the strategic planning consent process. I am examining a range of measures to support a speedier planning appeals process. I am exploring the possibility of allowing the larger local authorities in the Dublin region to act on an agency basis when preparing reports for An Bord Pleanála appeals. That would help the board to deal more speedily with the backlog of cases that are currently before it. I will also allow the board's quorum to be reduced from three to two for routine cases. The measures I am taking in the planning area will be welcomed by everyone involved.

In a time of recession and belt-tightening, it is more important than ever to look to the future. We need to plan effectively and strategically if we are to do what we can, individually and collectively, to grasp the opportunities and build on the advantages at our disposal. An Economic and Social Research Institute report that was published last month, Macroeconomic Context for a Sustainable Recovery, signalled that the economy will continue to need a high level of public investment in infrastructure over the coming decade. If we are to optimise the resources available to us, investment must be clearly co-ordinated and prioritised in locations with the potential to drive regional and national competitiveness and the capacity to grow.

The national spatial strategy must remain the principal basis for this. This view is shared by the National Competitiveness Council and the National Economic and Social Council, both of which acknowledge that strong cities act as economic engines to drive growth and enhance regional and national competitiveness. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is finalising a review and update of the national spatial strategy. It is assessing how the strategy is being implemented. The review will underline the key infrastructural and organisational priorities that are necessary if we are to improve our national competitiveness, contribute to economic renewal and support future economic development.

Some €500 million is being provided for water services infrastructure this year. Even in adverse economic times, that represents an increase of 2% on the 2008 outturn. This provision reflects the Government's ongoing commitment to preserving and protecting our water resources as a key element of environmental policy, meeting EU standards for drinking water and waste water treatment and putting critical infrastructure in place that will ensure ongoing support for industrial, commercial and other development. Investment under the water services programme will support over 4,000 jobs in the construction sector this year. It will support many additional jobs in manufacturing and in operating and maintaining the new infrastructure. We are determined to maintain and build on the good progress that has been made with the water services programme in recent years. Some 150 schemes are in progress and we expect 40 of them to be completed this year. We are planning to start at least as many new schemes later in the year. Momentum will be maintained on the delivery of priority projects. The tighter economic situation that now prevails means we must redouble our efforts to ensure that key environmental and economic objectives are delivered. We will benefit considerably from the more competitive tender pricing that is being obtained in the current operating environment.

There is an ongoing need to expand and improve our water and waste water treatment capacity so that environmental standards can be attained. Improvements are needed to anticipate future economic and social development needs and align investment decisions with other national priorities within the framework of the national spatial strategy. Water services investment will be at the core of future economic development. I attach considerable importance to the future direction of investment in this area. Therefore, I have asked my Department to undertake a review of the priority rating of all new projects over the coming months. This will form the basis for the next phase of the water services investment programme. While I reiterate that the Government will maintain a strong level of investment in water services, I emphasise that critical assessment criteria will single out the highest priority projects for future investment.

Allocations amounting to €100 million have been notified to local authorities under the rural water programme for 2009. The ongoing work under the programme will see compliance with national drinking water standards in group water scheme households rise to 98% by the end of the year, compared to 95% at the end of 2008. This programme has made huge inroads in improving rural water supplies across the country. It deserves due recognition for its practical achievements in recent years. It has improved the water supply quality of many rural communities. Many Deputies will be familiar with the extent of progress under this programme. I am happy to recognise this achievement. The Government is determined to build on the success of recent years, when a great deal was achieved in the water services sector. The level of compliance with the requirements of the EU urban waste water treatment directive on secondary waste water treatment facilities now stands at 92%, compared to 25% at the start of 2000. In the intervening period, some 442 water and waste water schemes have been completed, delivering an increase in waste water treatment capacity that is equivalent to meeting the needs of 3.2 million people. Water treatment capacity has increased by 838,000 over the same period.

The Government's commitment to housing is well established. In the more accommodating budgetary environment of recent years, substantial resources were invested in the broad spectrum of social and affordable housing measures and a range of improvement and regeneration programmes. We used those resources well. Record levels of activity were achieved last year. The needs of 19,500 households were met through the full range of social and affordable housing programmes. As is the case in many other areas of activity, the record levels of resources that were available in previous years are not available for 2009 and will not be available for a number of years. We must make significant adjustments across a range of housing programmes. Most importantly, over €1.4 billion will be available to us for housing in 2009. That is a significant level of investment at any time. It is crucial that we deploy such resources in as flexible and imaginative a manner as possible so that we achieve the optimum outcomes in terms of meeting housing needs.

See this speech in context