Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 1039: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in relation to the requirement in Part 5 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 and 2002 he will confirm that housing developments in villages which do not have a development plan in place are exempt from the requirements of this provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15070/07]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Under Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2006, each planning authority is required to prepare a housing strategy to ensure that the authority's Development Plan, into which the strategy is incorporated, makes adequate provision for the housing requirements of the existing and future population of the area. The housing strategy also provides the basis for determining the percentage, up to 20%, of land zoned for residential development or for a mix of residential and other uses that the local authority may require to be reserved for social and affordable housing purposes under Part V.

Section 9(1) of the Act provides that all planning authorities must make a development plan every six years and that these relate to the whole functional area of the authority. The issue of village-specific development plans does not therefore arise in the implementation of Part V.

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 1040: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if it was the intention of Part 5 of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 and 2002 that villages in the greater Dublin area would be exempt from this requirement and hence would not have to provide social and affordable housing. [15071/07]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Part V of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-06 applies to all planning permissions for developments on land zoned for residential use or a mixture of residential and other uses where the developments are of 5 or more units or on land of 0.1 hectares or more. It does not apply to developments by voluntary housing bodies or to conversions of buildings where at least 50% of the external building is being retained or to housing on land which is not zoned for residential purposes. Accordingly, villages in the Greater Dublin Area are not exempt from Part V.