John Cummins (Waterford, Fine Gael)

Amendments Nos. 5 to 8, inclusive, as tabled by Senator Keogan, seek to delete sections 21 to 24, inclusive, of the Act of 2024, which relate to the national planning framework, NPF. I cannot accept these amendments as the NPF is provided for in the existing and new planning legislation and sits at the apex of the hierarchy of our statutory spatial development plans, the purpose of which is to ensure the sustainable development of our urban and rural areas to 2040 with the core objectives of securing balanced regional development and the sustainable compact growth approach to the form and pattern of future development. Provision for the NPF is appropriately and necessarily dealt with in the Act of 2024. The NPF is a long-term strategy for the spatial development of Ireland to promote a better quality of life for all, with sustainable economic growth in an environment of the highest quality as its key underlying principles.

The subsequent review of the regional spatial and economic strategies and the review of individual city and county development plans to align with the NPF and the regional spatial and economic strategy, RSES, establishes a robust integrated hierarchy of spatial plans within Ireland. In turn, this will inform the making of decisions on planning applications in a robust and efficient manner, assisted by the statutory decision-making timelines contained within the 2024 Act. The Act requires that the NPF include policies and proposals for the furtherance of a number of objectives and securing national and regional development strategies including maximising the potential of our regions, supporting proper planning and sustainable development in urban and rural areas, supporting the circular economy, securing the co-ordination and regional spatial and economic strategies and development plans, providing for land and sea interactions and securing co-ordination with the national marine planning framework, and the integration of the pursuit and achievement of the national climate objective and the national biodiversity action plan into plan-led development within the State. This plan-led approach to development, reaffirmed and further enhanced under the Act of 2024, will continue to align strategic planning policy from the national level through to regional and local plans, giving effect to real and sustainable outcomes for our regions, our cities and our communities both urban and rural.

Both Houses of this Oireachtas approved the revised NPF in April of 2025. This is important given the comments the Senator has just made that there was no vote on this. The revised NPF provides the basis for the review and updating of regional spatial and economic strategies and the local authority development plans to reflect matters such as the updating of housing figures, which the Senator spoke to in her previous set of amendments, when I also informed the House we would be writing to local authorities very shortly about updating their development plans in that context. I am satisfied the existing provisions regarding the national planning framework are appropriate and, therefore, I cannot accept these amendments.