Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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453. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will direct local authorities to include provision for easier fibre rollout in their development plans via a policy of the provision of ducting in road, water and sewer infrastructure networks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22921/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Section 10(2)(b) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, requires a development plan to include objectives for the provision or facilitation of the provision of infrastructure including, inter alia, communication facilities. This requirement ensures that planning authorities' development plans can provide policies, for example, to facilitate the delivery and roll-out of broadband infrastructure in line with the Government's National Broadband Plan, published by my colleague the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in August, 2012.

Furthermore, Section 11(3) requires a planning authority to take whatever measures it considers necessary to consult with the providers of, inter alia, telecommunications in order to ascertain any long-term plans for the provision of infrastructure and services in the area of the planning authority.

I have, therefore, no plans to direct local authorities as proposed.