Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will it be like the old development plan, within which there were development plans for towns of a certain size and beyond, or will it be the municipal district in its entirety?

Leading on from this, may I ask a relevant question regarding the status of county development plans? In regard to the Westmeath and Offaly plans, Westmeath recently varied its development plan and Offaly has begun the process of initiating a new development plan. Both counties are specifically looking at the wind energy strategies of their development plans. They are seeking expertise within the local authority and assimilating that with councillors' knowledge and previous experience and have seen fit to propose a draft plan. This process would involve the engagement of the communities, the county and those within them. Particular attention is being given to the area of wind energy, particularly in view of the efforts being made by many companies to progress agreements with landowners in the expectation of making planning applications to An Bord Pleanála. Based on the fact the applications are for permission to export under the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act, these permissions can be applied for directly from An Bord Pleanála.

This being the case, many see fit to make overtures to owners of land outside that designated in existing or proposed development plans. One cannot stand in the way of how people go about their business, but the Minister must refute the suggestion by some that a moratorium can be placed on the planning of such developments. My understanding is this would be unconstitutional and I need someone in authority to confirm this.

The Department is an authority obliged to be informed of the process and therefore is entitled to make submissions, as is any member of the public. Various bodies such as An Taisce are informed of the planning process of making a development plan. Submissions in Westmeath and Offaly have indicated the provisions in the draft plans in both cases are at great variance to the understanding and direction given in guidelines, whether statutory or otherwise. This is quite worrying and I understand the frustration of many councillors in both authorities who, despite their best intentions, the engagement they pursued with local communities and various groups, and trying to act in accordance with the wide-ranging opinions therein, state they feel they were then rubbished by the Department's submission. Will the Minister confirm the hierarchy of development plans and guidelines? Councillors need to be mindful of these when they meet again to discuss the issue. They need direction from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in the process.

I am also conscious of the fact a national guideline consultation process is under way, as are separate processes for developments for home produce and developments for export. I am also conscious of reports today that the EU stated our targets on wind energy and other forms of energy are reduced compared to what they were previously. It gives the impression there is no uniformity, direction or path on which everybody understands the process will travel. There appear to be many tributaries coming into the path, but no organisation or methodology behind the various strands being brought together.

We have national guidelines, which have not yet been put in place, to take account or cognisance of the advancement of size and technology in the area, development plans which are making every effort to get up to date, and those drawing up the plans and public representatives are making every effort to accommodate the opinions and views of those they represent and, having assimilated all of this, bring about a development plan which can be workable. However they are then told by the Department they have wasted their time. This creates great confusion and I would like the Minister's opinion on it.

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