Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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196. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the legal status of the recently published Planning Policy Statement 2015 (details supplied); his plans to issue a ministerial policy directive to planning authorities, under section 29 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7472/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The Planning Policy Statement 2015 which I recently published jointly with my colleague, Minister Alan Kelly, and which is the first policy statement on planning ever published by an Irish Government, is intended to act as an overarching non-statutory general guiding document for our planning system.

It outlines and re-affirms in a clear and concise way the key values and core principles that the Government believes should underpin the operations of the planning system so that the highest standards are applied, and adhered to, by all parties engaged in the planning system, including planning authorities, public bodies, practitioners, private interests as well as the general public. This is also intended so that proper planning and sustainable development of our urban and rural areas is achieved and with a view to delivering quality in planning outcomes.

As the policy statement is addressed to a wider audience than planning authorities, it is not proposed to issue a Ministerial policy directive to planning authorities under section 29 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. However, as indicated, it is expected that the key values and core principles outlined in the Planning Policy Statement will be applied, and adhered to, by planning authorities in the performance of their functions.