Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 622: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made on the commitment given in the programme for Government to launch a proud cities and towns programme. [17970/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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My Department is undertaking a range of measures to encourage and facilitate the development and enhancement of sustainable cities and towns.

Building active and successful communities through quality housing is at the core of the housing policy statement Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities which sets out a vision to guide the transformation of the Irish housing sector over the next ten years. Since its publication in February 2007, the reform agenda set out in the statement has been actively pursued.

My Department is developing a suite of guidance documents to promote the highest possible standards in residential development and the provision of sustainable communities with access to the requisite range of public services and facilities. In particular, in March 2007, my Department launched new design guidelines on housing delivery entitled Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities. In September 2007, new guidelines for planning authorities entitled Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments were published. In February 2008, I published draft guidelines for planning authorities on sustainable residential development in urban areas, for public consultation.

This policy guidance reinforces the Government's Developing Areas initiative which is aimed at ensuring the integrated and timely delivery of the necessary infrastructure and services in parallel with housing development: the initiative is focused on fast growing strategic locations within the National Spatial Strategy gateways and hubs, which are experiencing significant development pressures.

The National Development Plan provides for EU and Exchequer investment of some €170 million to facilitate the ongoing closure of the urban and village renewal measure of the Regional Operational Programmes 2000-2006, and to support the implementation of a new urban renewal programme for the period to 2013. I intend shortly to announce details of this programme, which will aim at supporting sustainable urban regeneration and development projects including, for instance, the provision or redevelopment of public parks and the development of pedestrian areas within urban centres.

In addition to the above measures, the national Tidy Towns competition, which is organised by my Department, and the related "Ireland's Best Kept Towns" competition, recognise and seek to encourage local initiatives in respect of the conservation and enhancement of the built and natural environments that contribute to community development and enhance the attractiveness of city areas, towns and villages as places to live, work and visit.