Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 279: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is satisfied that local authorities are having due regard to the sustainable rural housing guidelines when adjudicating one-off rural housing applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30902/05]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 280: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is satisfied that each county council has adapted its county development plan to take into account the sustainable rural housing guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30903/05]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there is evidence that An Bord Pleanála is having proper regard to the sustainable rural housing guidelines in adjudicating on appeals on one-off rural houses. [30904/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 279 to 281, inclusive, together.

The guidelines for planning authorities on sustainable rural housing came into effect on 13 April 2005. They provide that reasonable proposals on suitable sites in rural areas for persons who are part of, contribute to or have links with the rural community must be accommodated. The guidelines thus affirm a presumption in favour of quality one-off housing for rural communities, provided proposals meet normal standards concerning matters such as proper waste water disposal and road safety. Following the publication of the guidelines, planning authorities were asked to review their development plans with a view to incorporating changes necessary to ensure that development plan policies are consistent with the policies set out in the guidelines.

My Department held two seminars in June for local authority planning officials on the implementation of the guidelines. The seminars dealt with the overall objectives of the guidelines and provided practical advice on the implementation of their core provisions, including preparation of development plan policies, providing better support and advice to applicants, as well as a more efficient and comprehensive consideration of planning applications.

In September 2005, my Department also held discussions on the guidelines with the planning committee of the County and City Managers Association. These discussions were around the need to embed regard for the guidelines, as required by section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, in the performance by local authorities of their relevant functions, that is, in making or reviewing their development plans, in providing planning services to applicants or potential applicants and in deciding on planning applications. County managers have also been asked for a report on the measures taken to date to implement the guidelines and their impact. The indications from reports received to date are that planning authorities have already considered or are considering any necessary changes to their development plans in order to give full effect to the guidelines. I intend to continue closely monitoring the effectiveness of the guidelines.

On the publication recently of its annual report for 2004, An Bord Pleanála stated that it had regard to the draft planning guidelines on sustainable rural housing which were issued in March 2004 in deciding appeals with regard to one-off houses in rural areas. In line with the guidelines, the board stated that it takes a positive attitude, subject to compliance with site specific good planning principles, to locally based rural generated housing needs. A survey of appeals relating to one-off rural housing developments decided from March to December 2004 and to which the guidelines were relevant is contained in appendix 6 of the annual report, a copy of which is in the Oireachtas Library. In 2004, 17% of appeals against refusal by the planning authority of planning permission for one-off rural houses were granted by the board, compared with 4% in 2003. The board is required to have regard to the finalised guidelines when deciding on appeals made since the guidelines came into effect last April.