Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 41: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his role in renewing the strategic planning guidelines for the greater Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22322/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The statutory provisions for the making of regional planning guidelines are contained in the Planning and Development Act 2000. Under these provisions, I have issued directions to regional authorities and published regulations on the making of regional planning guidelines. My Department has also issued guidance notes to regional authorities to assist them in this process.

In accordance with my direction, the Dublin regional authority and the mid-east regional authority, in May 2004, jointly made regional planning guidelines for the whole of the area of their two regions, that is, the area known as the greater Dublin area. These guidelines replaced the non-statutory strategic planning guidelines for the greater Dublin area 1999 and incorporated the aims and policies of the national spatial strategy.

My Department was represented on a steering committee which assisted in the preparation of the regional planning guidelines and also on the technical working group which supported this work.