Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the democratic input that will be made into the review of retail planning guidelines recently announced by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30736/10]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Retail strategies are prepared by all planning authorities as part of their development plans. Given the considerable changes in economic and social development since the current Retail Planning Guidelines were published in 2001 and updated in 2005, particularly in relation to population and settlement patterns, it is important that the forward planning context for future retail development remains robust and realistic.

In this context, my Department published a Retail Planning Issues Paper for public consultation on 28 June, with a closing date for submissions of 30 July. This Paper sets out high-level and strategic issues for retail planning and provides an opportunity for stakeholders and interested parties to assist in identifying key issues to be considered in the context of preparing and drafting revised retail planning guidelines. It is intended that the revised guidelines will be drafted before the end of the year, and will then be subject to a full public consultation process before their finalisation.