John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

National planning policy has undergone extensive reform through the recent enactment of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010. Its provisions will address many of the legacy planning issues which contributed to the property price bubble.

The Act ensures greater oversight, integration and consistency between spatial plans at national, regional and local levels. It requires that an evidence based core strategy must be included in development plans to detail how such plans are consistent with the national spatial strategy, relevant regional planning guidelines and statutory planning guidelines and provide information on the quantum, location and phasing of lands zoned for development over the period of the plan. Local authorities are required to introduce these core strategies into their development plans within one year of the adoption of the updated regional planning guidelines for the area. The Act also introduced a number of other amendments including the provision of additional grounds for extension of the duration of planning permission where there were considerations of a commercial, economic or technical nature beyond the control of the applicant which substantially militated against either the commencement of development or the carrying out of substantial works pursuant to the planning permission. A similar provision was introduced in the Act establishing the National Asset Management Agency.

My Department is in contact with NAMA on a number of issues, including in regard to the issue of unfinished estates. In this regard, NAMA is represented on the high level expert group on unfinished housing developments which was established to develop practical and policy solutions effectively to address unfinished housing developments. The Department is also in contact with NAMA to ensure that wherever its aim to secure a sound return can be aligned with the Department's need to provide accommodation for disadvantaged households, this will be achieved. The operation of NAMA is, of course, a matter for the Minister for Finance.

See this speech in context