Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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602. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the Construction Industry Federation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18639/15]

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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The Government published a comprehensive Construction 2020 Strategyin May 2014 aimed at addressing issues in the property and construction sectors and ensuring that any critical bottlenecks that might impede the sector in meeting residential and non-residential demand are addressed. The Strategy incorporates 75 specific actions encompassing the development of an overall strategic approach to housing supply, identifying and implementing further improvements to the planning system to facilitate appropriate development, and seeking to improve financing options for development and mortgage provision.

I have responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the Construction 2020 Strategyon behalf of the Government and in the period since its publication, we have already begun to see some welcome and positive signs of recovery in the sector. Particularly notable in this regard are the increase in the number of house completions in 2014 to 11,016 units nationally, an increase of 33% on the 2013 figure, and announcements of committed funding of €3.8 billion towards the provision of 35,000 social housing units in the period to 2020. I will continue to liaise with representatives of the construction industry and other stakeholders in relation to the implementation of further measures to assist in the development of a strong and sustainable construction sector, particularly in the area of housing construction.

The only matters in the list of measures proposed by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) in its 12 steps to increase employment in the construction sector by 20,000 jobs that fall under my area of responsibility are the Planning and Development (No. 2) Bill and the placing of the Construction Industry Register Ireland (CIRI) on a statutory footing.

The General Scheme of the Planning and Development (No. 2) Bill was published in January of this year and is available on my Department’s website. It provides for the implantation of the primary planning-related recommendation of the Mahon Tribunal, namely the establishment of a new Office of the Planning Regulator. It also provides for:

- a legislatively defined approach to the development of a successor strategy to the 2002 National Spatial Strategy,

- the National Planning Framework, and

- enhanced transparency in, and streamlining of, the planning system, with regard to -

- the publication of all submissions received on local area plans and development plans on the website of the relevant planning authority,

- the Chief Executive’s report on such submissions to be also published on the website of the relevant planning authority,

- the forwarding of any proposed grants of planning permission in material contravention of a local area plan or development plan to the relevant regional assembly for observations,

- the provision of legislative underpinning for E-Planning to facilitate the introduction of online planning applications and appeals,

- the payment of reduced fees, or no fees, by elected members when making submissions on applications for planning permission, and the noting of such representations on the relevant planning file,

- the taking into account by Irish Water of the likely sequencing of housing and economic development as indicated in local area plans and development plans when preparing its Water Services Strategic Investment Plan.

In addition to the provisions outlined in the General Scheme as published, it is also proposed to introduce a number of further amendments at Committee Stage of the Bill to address a range of issues, including the streamlining of the existing provisions relating to the taking in charge of housing estates by local authorities, and improving the procedures relating to the designation of Strategic Development Zones.

The General Scheme of the Planning and Development (No. 2) Bill is being progressed in parallel with a General Scheme for a Planning and Development (No. 1) Bill aimed primarily at addressing the current constrained housing supply situation, which is particularly acute in the Dublin area. The main provisions in the Planning (No. 1) Bill are:

- revision of the Part V arrangements on social and affordable housing,

- retrospective application of reduced development contribution charges, and

- the introduction of a vacant site levy to incentivise urban regeneration and the provision of housing in central urban areas.

The Government has also signalled its commitment in the Construction 2020 Strategyto placing the Construction Industry Register Ireland on a statutory footing in 2015. This is seen as an essential consumer protection measure giving consumers who engage a registered builder the assurance that they are dealing with a competent and compliant operator. Legislative proposals in this regard are currently being prepared by my Department with a view to their being presented to Government for consideration in the near future.