Written answers

Tuesday, 23 November 2004

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Planning Issues

10:00 pm

Photo of Pat BreenPat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 641: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he plans to issue directives to local authorities and An Bord Pleanála to implement his policy on one-off housing rather than the guidelines proposed by his predecessor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29940/04]

Photo of Dick RocheDick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with normal practice, the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housing, published on 4 March 2004, were issued in draft form to give all those interested an opportunity to comment before the guidelines are finalised in statutory form. Submissions in relation to the draft guidelines were to be submitted to my Department by 30 April 2004. In view of the importance of the rural housing issue, my predecessor requested planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála to have regard to the draft guidelines with effect from their date of publication. The guidelines are a material consideration both in relation to development plans and in the consideration of planning applications. Planning authorities are required to review and vary their development plans, where necessary, to ensure their policies on rural settlement are consistent with the policies set out in the guidelines.

A total of 105 submissions in relation to the draft guidelines have been received by my Department from interested organisations and individuals. The submissions have been examined in detail by my Department. I intend to carefully consider any suggestions for clarifying or improving the guidelines before they are finalised. It is my intention that the guidelines will be issued in their final statutory form by the end of this year.

When issued in their final statutory form, the guidelines will have the status of ministerial planning guidelines under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. Section 28 provides that planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála must have regard to the provisions of any such guidelines when exercising their planning functions.

It is not intended at this time to issue a planning policy directive on rural housing, following the publication of the final guidelines.

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