Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 414: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will ensure that under the State lands initiative, local authorities should give some of their land to provide lands in the context of the affordable housing initiative; his views on whether community zoning could be a simple system if it is prioritised by the Government and as stated to this Deputy that this could be a simple operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22307/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of the Sustaining Progress Affordable Housing Initiative, a series of lands belonging to local authorities have been released to the initiative. To date, 131 affordable housing units have been provided on three sites in Buckley's Field, Blackrock, Cork (32 units), Finglas Road (50 units) and Flemington, Balbriggan (49 units). Construction is also underway on ten sites belonging to local authorities which will yield a total of 574 affordable housing units.

In addition to these specific projects, local authorities are also progressing numerous projects on their own lands under their social and other affordable housing programmes. The zoning of land for particular purposes is a function of local authorities within the development plan process, as set out in the Planning and Development Act 2000. My Department actively engages with local authorities on a range of initiatives towards community improvements. Local authorities will generally have regard to potential financial implications of zoning exclusively for community use, and may prefer to adopt an integrated approach to the planning requirements of an area in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

To assist local authorities in this process, I recently published Draft Guidelines on Development Plans for Planning Authorities for public consultation which set out, inter alia, the need for development plans to include objectives for the integration of the planning and sustainable development of the area with the social, cultural and community requirements of the area and its population. The closing date for comments and submissions on the Draft Guidelines is 21 July 2006.