Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. My reply is general but perhaps I will address some of the specific points at the end.

The priority the Government attaches to achieving greater integration between planning, housing and infrastructure provision is underpinned by the planning legislative and policy framework. It would be inappropriate for a planning authority to determine a planning application solely based on the standard of communications services in an area. In this regard, when making a decision on a planning application under section 34 of the Planning and Development Act, a planning authority is required to consider the overall proper planning and sustainable development of the area, as well as having regard to, inter alia, the provisions of the local development plan and, where relevant, the policy of the Government, Minister or any other Minister of the Government.

Local development plans provide the blueprint for the sustainable development of an area, including the co-ordinated provision of infrastructure and services, including communications. Planning authorities must respond to the circumstances of their local communities when formulating their development plans and identify the appropriate facilities required. Generally, appropriate policies and objectives for inclusion in plans will relate to the allocation and reservation of land for housing, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational and other uses, setting appropriate development control standards, and indicating the provision of specific infrastructure and facilities.

Section 10(2)(b) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, specifically requires a development plan to include objectives for the provision or facilitation of the provision of infrastructure including, inter alia, communications facilities. This objective ensures that planning authorities' development plans can provide policies – for example, to facilitate the delivery and rolling out of broadband infrastructure in line with the Government's national broadband plan, published by my colleague the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in August 2012.

Section 11(3) of the Act requires a planning authority to take whatever measures it considers necessary to consult the providers of telecommunications, among others, in order to ascertain any long-term plans for the provision of infrastructure and services in the area of the planning authority.

My Department has issued guidelines to planning authorities on preparing and managing development plans that emphasise the need for the integrated provision of both infrastructure and supporting services to facilitate the development of sustainable communities and provide for a better quality of life in working, home and leisure environments.

My Department has issued guidelines on development contributions to ensure that they appropriately promote the development of areas prioritised in core strategies, with an emphasis on reduced rates or waivers for certain categories of development. In this regard, development contributions – which are levied as part of a planning permission to contribute towards the funding of infrastructure necessary to support the proposed development – are waived to incentivise the; construction of broadband infrastructure. In essence, planning authorities are specifically required to include waivers for broadband infrastructure, namely masts and antennae, in development contribution schemes to incentivise the provision of such infrastructure in local communities.

Taken together, this range of measures is designed to ensure that settlement patterns are sustainable and that development is sited in the appropriate place from an infrastructural and environmental perspective. I have no plans to review the planning regulations specifically in regard to communications infrastructure. However, this issue should feature strongly in the development plans of local authorities. The development levies should assist in providing the infrastructure. However, the point the Senator is making is that the infrastructure should be in place before development occurs. I hope my answer is helpful.