Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 515: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to ensure that no rezoning of land for residential development can take place without a prior commitment of an appropriate proportion of land for schools. [18355/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Section 10(2)(l) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires a development plan to include objectives for "the provision, or facilitation of the provision, of services for the community including, in particular, schools, crèches and other education and childcare facilities". This requirement is restated in my Department's Development Plan Guidelines for Planning Authorities, which was published in June 2007, and which is available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.

Draft planning guidelines on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas were issued by my Department in February 2008 for public consultation and reinforce the need for new development to be phased in line with the availability and provision of essential social and community infrastructure such as schools, amenities and other facilities, and for timely consultation with the Department of Education and Science in relation to new schools needs. Moreover, the draft guidelines state that:

"No substantial residential development should proceed without an assessment of existing schools capacity or the provision of new school facilities in tandem with the development."

My Department is also working with the Department of Education and Science and the County and City Managers Association in finalising a new protocol that elaborates on the guidance already provided and sets out procedures for the integration of development planning and schools planning by addressing, inter alia, the following key issues:

Roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders;

The forecasting of future education demand;

The interventions required at various stages of the development plan process;

Location and site development standards; and

Site transfer and acquisition procedures.