Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the steps he will take to improve planning guidelines for planning authorities to address the phenomenon of the social segregation of immigrants in rapidly expanding new communities; if he will review the present planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28885/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Development plans prepared by local authorities under Part II of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provide the over-arching strategic framework for development within their areas. It is mandatory for development plans to provide objectives, inter alia, for the integration of the planning and sustainable development of an area with the social, community and cultural requirements of the area and its population.

The plans are also required to provide objectives for community services. Part V of the Act requires, in addition, that planning authorities include in their development plans a housing strategy which must address the housing needs of existing and future population of the area covered by the development plan. Guidelines issued by my Department in 2000 in regard to Part V of the Act state, inter alia: "The strategy should encourage the development of mixed and balanced communities in order to counteract undue social segregation."

In June 2007, my Department published guidelines for planning authorities on development plans. The guidelines recognise the changing demographic and settlement patterns in Ireland in recent years and state that development plans must set a clear vision for development while acknowledging and factoring in the wider economic, social and environmental trends.

The Government's housing policy statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, sets out a strategy to put the building of sustainable communities at the core of housing policy. The housing policy statement recognises that a sustainable neighbourhood is better able to support the social integration of different income groups and thereby provide a better means for newcomers to integrate and participate fully in Irish society.

I understand from my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for integration, that as part of the national action plan against racism, Planning for Diversity, the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism has commissioned the Centre for Housing Research and University College Dublin to carry out the first major scoping study on issues related to housing and intercultural neighbourhoods in Ireland. The research will examine the possible implications of greater ethnic and cultural diversity for housing planning and provision and more specific accommodation issues. To oversee this research, a broadly-based advisory group has been established, which includes my Department, Dublin City Council, the Reception and Integration Agency, the Equality Authority, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Immigrant Council of Ireland, South Dublin County Council and the Vincentian Centre for Refugees. The study is due to be published in January 2008.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response. The difficulty is that he is talking about scoping studies and advisory groups. The habit of the Government in the past ten years has been to produce report upon report and never implement action. Is the Minister aware that of the children who are leaving schools in Dublin 15, one third of them are being replaced by children from immigrant communities. There is a significant trend in parts of the country, especially in Dublin, for the phenomenon known as "white flight". If we drag our heels on this issue, will it not be too late, as ghettoes will already have developed? What specific action does the Minister intend to take to ensure that what is currently happening in Dublin 15 is not replicated around the country? We need action now, not in a couple of years.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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We are already taking action. I highlighted previously to the Deputy in regard to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 that what we wanted to achieve was proper integration not segregation. The problems Deputy Naughten referred to were identified as far back as the year 2000. We do not need to be alarmist about this issue. We have seen good integration take place.

I do not know whether Deputy Naughten listened to the President speak on the "Late Late Show". She acknowledged the great contribution people coming to this country are making. One can look at some of the schools in my constituency where many immigrants have made a fantastic contribution and enhanced our country. I refer, for example, to a student from Synge Street who won the young scientist of the year award. If anything, immigrants are bringing up standards in many schools.

Too often we tend to highlight immigration as an issue that will result in doom and gloom, but that is not the case. We should see it very much as an opportunity. What we need are proper housing estates which have proper housing densities. I will issue new guidelines in the run-up to Christmas. This issue does not just involve the new communities, it involves everyone. We must ensure the provision of schools, child care, proper infrastructure and transport links in new housing estates because, otherwise, we will have the creation of ghettoes, regardless of whether these people come from other countries or were born here. Let us get integration right and let us get housing densities right.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge what the Minister said in regard to what new communities coming from abroad bring to this country. However, is it not the case that Part V of the Planning and Development Act, which was enacted seven years ago in 2000, dealt with the issue of economic segregation? Is it not the case that in housing estates in places like Clonee, huge ghettoes are developing? We need action on this issue now. What immediate steps is the Minister prepared to take in terms of publishing guidelines on that specific issue?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Economic segregation is already evident in many cases.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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That is what Part V of the Planning and Development Act was supposed to address.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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In many cases economic segregation has very little to do with planning, it relates to the fact that many immigrants are willing to do work which Irish people no longer want to do. If one goes to a filling station——

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Minister is avoiding the question.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I am not. That is the situation. The Deputy is confusing a number of issues. In terms of planning, the real issue is that we provide good planning — planning has to be paramount — that services are properly provided and that the proper densities are put in place. That is the way to go. There is no way one can put up a "whites only" sign as part of the planning process. That will not happen.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I am not proposing that but the Minister avoided it very well.