Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 1788: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he will publish guidelines on landscape and landscape assessment which have been in draft form since 2000. [43693/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There have been a number of key developments in the area of landscape character assessment since the publication of the draft Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Landscape and Landscape Assessment for public consultation in 2000. These include Ireland's ratification of the European Landscape Convention in 2002, which aims to promote landscape protection, management and planning, and to organise European co-operation on landscape issues. The rationale of the Convention is to encourage public authorities to adopt policies and measures at local, regional, national and international level for protecting, managing and planning landscapes throughout Europe so as to maintain and improve landscape quality, to bring the public, institutions and local and regional authorities to recognise the value and importance of landscape and to take part in related public decisions.

More recently, my Department has undertaken extensive consultations with key relevant stakeholders with an interest in Landscape Character Assessment, such as the Heritage Council and other Government Departments and agencies with a view to seeing how landscape issues should be taken forward further in the context of planning policy.

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 1789: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he will finalise the guidelines for planning authorities on development plans which have been in draft form since April 2006. [43694/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Draft Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Development Plans were published for public consultation in April 2006, and 49 comments and submissions have been received.

The consideration of these comments and submissions is nearing completion I intend issuing the finalised Guidelines to planning authorities before the end of the first quarter of 2007. The guidelines will be issued as Ministerial guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, which provides that planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála must have regard to the provisions of any such guidelines in the exercise of their planning functions.