Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The development of a new national planning framework, NPF, is being led by my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. A roadmap, approved by Government and published in December 2015, outlines the arrangements for the preparation of the NPF, which includes the establishment of a dedicated work team in the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, whose work will be overseen by a high-level cross-Departmental steering group, supported by appropriate public consultation and stakeholder engagement arrangements. I understand that it is the Minister's intention that effective consultation will ensure the NPF is built from the ground up, while at the same time taking account of strategic realities at national level.

As Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, I welcome this important initiative and I look forward to contributing to it, including by way of my Department's input as a member of the NPF cross-departmental steering group.

As a contributor to the development of a new NPF, my Department has many shared and complementary objectives that will be considered during the process as part of the whole-of-government approach being adopted.

Indeed, a number of high level initiatives are currently underway within my Department which are relevant to the development of the NPF and will provide significant cross-over potential. These include the development of programmes under my Department's new regional and rural development brief, the National Landscape Strategy for Ireland 2015-2025, my Department's built and natural heritage fiscal and capital investment programmes, the ongoing implementation of the Government policy on architecture and the proposed development of a new national heritage plan.

Finally, my understanding is that rural Ireland will be addressed as part of a NPF issues and options paper, which will include a section entitled "A place-based strategy for rural Ireland".

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