Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is currently preparing the National Planning Framework, NPF, which is a 20 year strategy for the spatial development of Ireland. My Department, at official level, is a member of the interdepartmental national planning framework steering committee and the NPF’s econometric and demographics working group. The NPF has also been the subject of discussions at the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, Environment and Climate Action, of which I am a member.

My Department is contributing to the development of the NPF, based on Enterprise 2025, in relation to a number of aspects.

We have raised a number of issues, including the strong interdependence between the planning and the creation of an attractive environment and enterprise development; the need for a robust, evidence-based NPF to ensure that Ireland’s growth ambitions are achieved; that enterprises and entrepreneurship play a central role in job creation in the regions; the need to identify and address the different advantages and development potential of each region whether in, for example, services, manufacturing or agrifood sectors; and the importance of prioritising infrastructure investment to support economic development and to address gaps in required combinations of roads, water, energy and broadband and skills to boost growth.

In terms of progress, the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has indicated that it will take on board the submissions made by this Department as the NPF is progressed.

I understand that an emerging draft NPF will be prepared by early 2017 and that the framework will be submitted to the Oireachtas for approval in due course.

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