Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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The responsibility for zoning lands for specific purposes is a matter for planning authorities through their development plans and local area plans. Under the Planning Acts, the making, reviewing and varying of a development plan or local area plan is a reserved function of the elected members of the planning authority for the area.

In January 2009, to inform the review of the Regional Planning Guidelines (RPGs) for the period 2010-2022, my Department published national and regional population targets for the years 2016 and 2022 which take account of the changed economic climate and the likely impact on demographic trends of reduced in-migration, unemployment levels and a more constrained financial situation. In October 2009, specific Gateway and Hub population targets which were derived from the January 2009 national and regional targets were also issued.

Each Regional Authority, together with the constituent City and County Councils, is determining population targets for county towns, other smaller towns, villages and rural areas, within their respective regional targets, which will in turn inform the demand for housing over the period of the RPGs and the requirements for development land, taking account of such matters as available vacant housing units within their area. Regional Planning Guidelines for the period 2010 to 2022 have now been adopted by all eight Regional Authorities.

Furthermore, the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 provides, inter alia, that an evidence-based core strategy must be included in development plans, providing information on how the plan is consistent with the National Spatial Strategy, relevant Regional Planning Guidelines and statutory planning guidelines, including information in relation to the quantum, location and phasing of lands zoned for development over the period of the plan. Planning authorities are required to introduce these core strategies into their development plans within one year of the adoption of the updated Regional Planning Guidelines for the area.