Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 34: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the need to prevent future housing development on flood plains and in particular areas identified under the Office of Public Works flood hazard mapping programme as being at significant risk of flooding; if he will bring forward legislation that would give a special designation to such areas that would prevent inappropriate housing development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8032/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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As I stated in reply to Question No. 272 of 31 January 2008, the First Schedule of the Planning and Development Act 2000 specifies, inter alia, that planning authorities may include in their development plans objectives regulating, restricting or controlling development in areas at risk of flooding. Where development is proposed in an area at risk of flooding, it is a matter for each planning authority to evaluate such risk, on the basis of a flood risk assessment where appropriate, and planning permission may either be refused, or, if granted, can be made subject to conditions requiring the implementation of measures necessary to alleviate or avoid damage due to flooding.

Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Development Plans were published by my Department in June 2007 to further assist planning authorities in the preparation of development plans. The guidelines recommend that flood risk should be considered at relevant stages of the planning and development process and that the aim should be to ensure that existing flood risks are either reduced or addressed and that new development does not individually or cumulatively give rise to new flood risks, particularly in the context of potential impacts arising from climate change.

My Department, in conjunction with the OPW, is preparing more comprehensive guidance on flooding and the planning system, which it is intended to issue for public consultation and finalisation this year. Preparation of these guidelines, and the mapping resources already available to planning authorities on the OPW's National Flood Hazard Mapping website (www.floodmap.ie), are two of the key actions arising from the work of the Flood Policy Review Group.

I intend to issue these guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála will be required to have regard to them in the performance of their functions. I have no current proposals to bring forward legislation on this issue.