Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Amendments Nos. 75 to 85, inclusive, and 103 all relate to section 60 and Schedule 2, and are largely technical in nature correcting textual errors with some substantive drafting amendments, namely amendments Nos. 78 and 83.

Amendment No. 78 inserts a new subparagraph to section 23(2)(b) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 as substituted by the Local Government Reform Bill 2013 to provide that the matters to be addressed for the economic component of the regional spatial and economic strategy will include enabling the conditions for creating and sustaining jobs.

The objective of the regional economic strategy is to support the economic policies and objectives of the Government by providing a long-term economic framework for the development of the region, which is ultimately about enabling the condition for creating and sustaining of jobs at local level, providing for an regional economic strategy to enable the conditions for creating and sustaining jobs is consistent with a stronger role for local government in promoting economic development. As outlined earlier, there will be increased local government involvement in economic development because of the economic impact of its functions generally, its links with enterprise, its local knowledge and leadership, its economic initiatives by many local authorities and its new local development and enterprise functions. It is therefore important that the regional spatial and economic strategy enables the conditions for creating and sustaining jobs at local level.

Amendment No. 83 inserts "rural areas" in subparagraph (4)(2) of section 23(2)(b) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 to provide that the qualities of rural areas are also considered in identifying the regional attributes that are essential to enhancing regional economic performance, particularly as the regional economic strategy is also about augmenting the economic performance of the region across the economic sectors of agriculture, forestry and other natural resource sectors.

Amendments Nos. 74 and 104 are technical ones to insert an indefinite article where it has been omitted. Amendment No. 75 is a typographical amendment which inserts "of" after "purpose" to read correctly as "purpose of". Amendment No. 76 deletes the word "such" in order to provide for a reference to regulations, as the use of "such" implies the regulations have already been referred to in the section when there is no previous reference to regulations. Furthermore, any such regulations would form the same set of regulations that may be prepared under section 21 of the planning Acts. Amendment No. 77 is another typographical amendment which inserts "of" in place of "for" to refer correctly to "Minister of the Government".

Amendments Nos. 79, 80, 81 and 82 together with amendments Nos. 84 and 85 provide for the renumbering of the subparagraphs and a consequential reference in light of the insertion of the new subparagraph (i) enabling the conditions for creating and sustaining jobs.

Amendment No. 102 is a typographical amendment to delete a superfluous word "in". Amendment No. 103 addresses an omission by inserting "regional" before "spatial and economic strategy" to read correctly as "regional spatial and economic strategy" in Schedule 2 to the Bill.

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