Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 6, to delete lines 18 to 20.

On Second Stage, I predicted that the Bill would be heavily amended as it went through subsequent Stages. I felt the Bill was very incomplete as has been borne out by the number of Government and Opposition amendments.

Regarding amendments Nos. 2 and 5 to 7, inclusive, Fine Gael has a fundamental difficulty with everything being defined on the basis of a core strategy that is then referenced in development objectives as being consistent with the national spatial strategy and the regional planning guidelines. We acknowledge that improvements are needed in the planning and development area and these need to be made through legislation. The continued references to core strategy and requiring that development plans must comply with the national spatial strategy and the regional planning guidelines appear to be an attempt by the Minister to manage planning from the top down, rather than from the bottom up, which was the case heretofore when local authority members elected by their communities had a defining say on the strengths and weaknesses of their particular local development plan. Those strengths and weaknesses can be clearly outlined in the development plan, which is compiled through a very thorough process of public consultation with reference to the elected members and also incorporates recommendations and advice from the professional staff of the planning sections, which in principle should give a good bottom-up approach to planning.

Unfortunately there has been a lack of co-ordination through various development plans and strategies. It is through this lack of co-ordination that we see the difficulties with planning. We have seen development take place without transport links, or school or community facilities. We would have liked a more co-ordinated approach to that. I accept a genuine attempt is being made here. However, our specific difficulty is how the national spatial strategy is formulated and adopted. Fine Gael agrees we need a national spatial strategy or a national plan. However, the Bill gives it a new status given that all development plans are required to comply with it.

I was provided with a very good document from the Houses of the Oireachtas library and research service, which defines the national spatial strategy as follows:

The National Spatial Strategy 2002 - 2020 is the national strategic planning framework aimed at achieving a better balance of social, economic and physical development across Ireland, supported by more effective and integrated planning (Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, 2007d). The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is responsible for leading implementation of the NSS. The commitment to prepare the Strategy was included in the National Development Plan 2000 - 2006.

We would agree with much of that and we agree with the implementation of the national spatial strategy. However, as far as I am aware it has never been approved by the Oireachtas. In other words, the legislation we are discussing requires all development plans to comply in law with a document that has not received the approval of the Oireachtas. Moreover, in the formulation of that document, there has been no consultation with the public similar to that which occurs in respect of local authority development plans. In any democracy the public should have a strong say in how plans relevant to the national economy and national development are formulated. The national spatial strategy was never subject to the thorough degree of public consultation which takes place in respect of regional development plans, yet under this legislation, all development plans are to be based on the national spatial strategy. While the current strategy includes many positive aspects, there is nothing in the Bill to prevent a future Minister from changing that strategy at a whim, thus affording him or her direct power to influence all development plans arising from it. That is why we are proposing amendments to delete many of the references to the national spatial strategy and the regional development objectives.

The Bill will give new and much enhanced powers to regional authorities. Heretofore, they prepared regional development plans which offered guidance to local authorities on how a region should develop in a proper and sustainable manner. The reality is that every region has its unique strengths and weaknesses and one size does not fit all. My own region, the south east, is no different. For example, one of the weaknesses is that it is the only region in the State without a university, but we also enjoy many advantages. These provisions suggest the Minister is seeking, through the national spatial strategy and the regional authorities' plans, to micro-manage all development plans throughout the State. That is not the way to go. I am interested in the Minister of State's views on this issue, as well as those of other Members.