Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First and foremost, there is a responsibility on local government, the planning authority and councillors to make sure they get these things right. When local area or county development plans come to my Department we sometimes have to ask for material changes. Sometimes this does not go down too well but it is necessary to make sure the planning process is in compliance with national planning strategy and legislation. Lands that are prone to flooding will be part of that consideration. I do not want to predetermine any consideration my Department may give to a local area plan process. We have already inputted into this process and there are statutory obligations on the local planning authority to respond. There is a process around decision making but that is why we have devolved powers to local government. There are interventions at a national level, where appropriate, but first and foremost the responsibility to get the balance right between infrastructure, open space, housing density, responding to housing need and other things such as avoiding flood plains with large housing developments, which did not happen enough in the past, falls to local planning authorities.

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