Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding the review of the retail planning guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47063/10]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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I refer to the reply to Question No. 17 of 25 November 2010. My Department is currently reviewing the Retail Planning Guidelines which were originally published in 2001 and updated in 2005.

An Issues Paper, which set out high-level and strategic issues for retail planning, was published in June 2010 to provide an opportunity for stakeholders and interested parties to assist in identifying key issues to be considered in the context of preparing and drafting revised guidelines. Almost 200 submissions were received through this consultation process and the issues raised in these submissions are currently being examined in drafting the updated guidelines.

It is intended that revised draft guidelines will be published for public consultation early next year, thus affording stakeholders and interested parties a further opportunity to input into the policy formulation process before the statutory guidelines are finalised later in 2011. In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding on Specific Economic Policy Conditionality between Ireland and the EU/IMF, the review is also addressing the issue of the cap on retail floor space contained in the current guidelines.