Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 621: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to review the classes of developments to which part XI applies to introduce greater accountability. [17969/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department has completed a detailed review of the taking in charge procedures for residential developments provided under section 180, Part XI, of the Planning and Development Act 2000. On foot of this review, new policy guidance issued to planning authorities in February 2008 on the taking in charge of estates in the form of circular letter PD 1/08 which is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie. Each planning authority is being asked to develop or update, as appropriate, its policy on taking in charge by the end of June 2008, on the basis of the framework, and wider housing and planning guidance, set out in the annex to the circular.

I also intend to give the new policy guidance statutory backing by incorporating the main elements in the new Guidelines on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas which will be issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act later this year. Planning authorities are obliged to have regard to such Guidelines in the exercise of their functions under the Planning Acts.

The other elements of Part XI of the Planning and Development Act will be reviewed, as necessary, over the period of the Programme for Government.