Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 284: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views and the plans he has to ensure proper community recreational facilities in residential housing estates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26517/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Government's housing policy statement Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities published earlier in 2007 sets out a vision to guide the transformation of the Irish housing sector over the next ten years, by delivering more and better quality housing responses, and by doing this in a more strategic way focused on the building of sustainable communities.

This focus on sustainability will require the private and public sectors to work together to improve not just the quality of housing developments themselves, but also to ensure that housing developments are well integrated with the provision of supporting services such as schools, community facilities and amenities.

The planning framework also takes extensive account of the need for the provision of recreational facilities. At national and regional levels, the National Spatial Strategy and Regional Planning Guidelines identify improved social, amenity and cultural infrastructure as being key to achieving improved quality of life and providing better places for people to live in. In turn, these aims are translated into concrete policies and actions in county and city development plans, as well as through local area plans.

Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, local authorities must have regard to requirements on recreation and amenities in preparing their development plans. Section 10(2) of the Act requires development plans to include objectives for the preservation, improvement and extension of amenities and recreational amenities and, also, the provision, or facilitation of the provision, of services for the community such as childcare facilities.

My Department published Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Development Plans in June 2007. These emphasise the objectives for the provision of public open space and recreation space including space/places for children to play and the preservation, improvement and extension of amenities and recreational amenities.

My Department is currently finalising new guidelines on residential development for public consultation before the end of this year. These new guidelines will replace the existing 1999 Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Residential Density. The 1999 Guidelines place an emphasis on the quality of open space including spaces suitable for children's play and passive amenity. The new guidelines will build on this and provide greater detail on the need for quality recreational facilities which are fully integrated into new residential developments, complementing the theme of Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities outlined above.

Copies of the above mentioned documents are available from my Department's website at www.environ.ie.