Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 506: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there will be a recommendation from his Department to amend the retail planning guidelines to enable pharmacies to locate in town centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13402/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The 2001 Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Retail Planning, as amended in 2005, contain no specific recommendations in relation to the location of pharmacies in town centres. The Guidelines recommend that planning authorities should prepare, as part of their development plans, town centre strategies which set out the vision and positive actions which will allow town centres achieve their full potential.

The Guidelines also recognise the significant social and economic role of local shops encompassing both food-stores and important non-food outlets such as pharmacies and recommend that, where a planning authority can substantiate clearly the local importance of such shops in defined local centres, they should safeguard them in development plans, through appropriate land-use zoning. My Department intends to undertake a focused review of the Retail Planning Guidelines later this year. The new draft Guidelines will issue for public consultation before their finalisation.