Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 34:

In page 17, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following:

"(a) The National Spatial Strategy shall be approved by the Houses of the Oireachtas.".

This amendment returns to the argument about the formulation of the national spatial strategy and the effect it has on all county and city development plans and regional and local area plans. It is an attempt to endorse democratically the content of the national spatial strategy. We are concerned that it is not compiled in the same democratic and transparent way as any local area plan or development plan and we believe it should be. The national spatial strategy should be compiled after thorough consultation and engagement with the public.

Section 12 requires explicitly that regional planning guidelines be prepared to support the implementation of the national spatial strategy. Could local authorities not be similarly required to support it? They could be empowered or a direct line could be created from the local authority to the strategy and the same should apply to any other authorities, such as the regional authorities or agencies that would have an interest in formulating the strategy. The recent flooding shows how other agencies such as the Office of Public Works and emergency services could feed into the strategy through a consultation process.

This amendment proposes to address the democratic deficit in compiling the national spatial strategy. The Bill gives an opportunity to enhance the strategy by requiring that the Oireachtas approve it. In that way the Oireachtas could scrutinise the strategy properly. This could be done through the various Oireachtas joint committees, whether on transport, environment, heritage and local government, or whatever. They could all express their views. The national spatial strategy is mentioned so often in this Bill that it will achieve major significance for planning when the Bill is passed. Heretofore it was only a reference guide but it will become obligatory for all regional plans to comply with it.

Fine Gael agrees with the strategy and most of its contents but we are trying to enhance any future national spatial strategies such that the elected Members are consulted and endorse it properly. It must be accountable to the people and the best way to achieve that is to have the Oireachtas approve it. The various Oireachtas joint committees can scrutinise it further. That is the reasoning behind this amendment. I will be interested to hear the Minister of State's views on this proposal.