Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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848. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the findings of the preliminary MacCabe Durney Barnes report into the performance of planning functions in respect of six planning authorities; his response and the details of meetings held as a result; his observations on same; the detail surrounding such observations; the facts in relation to the revising of the preliminary findings report; how many times it was revised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46698/15]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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849. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when he recieved the written report of MacCabe Durney Barnes into the performance of planning functions in respect of six planning authorities; the recommendations made; if he will publish it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46699/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 848 and 849 together.

MacCabe Durney Barnes Consultants were appointed in February 2014 to carry out an independent planning review on the performance of planning functions having regard to specific planning issues in respect of six planning authorities (Carlow, Cork, Galway and Meath County Councils and Cork and Dublin City Councils) in accordance with section 255 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended.

In line with the Terms of Reference, MacCabe Durney Barnes Consultants submitted a Preliminary Findings Report or draft Report on 2 October 2014 and my Department subsequently met with the consultants on 20 February 2015 to review my Department’s observations on the draft Report. Subsequently, the consultants were requested to circulate the relevant parts of the draft Report to the relevant planning authorities and complainants in finalising the report which is broadly in line with the draft Report.

I received the final report from the consultants in July 2015 and, after having fully considered its contents, I published the Independent Planning Review of The Performance of Planning Functions having regard to Specific Issues raised in respect of Six Planning Authorities – Final Report by MacCabe Durney Barneson 15 December 2015. The independent Review Report has not found that the planning system is broken or fundamentally flawed from a legislative and policy framework perspective, but that certain systems and procedures need to be reviewed and enhanced to achieve the standards of transparency, consistency and accountability that a modern society expects.

I also published my Department’s response to the report entitled Response of the Department of the Environment Community and Local Government to the Independent Planning Review of the Performanceof Planning Functions having regard to Specific Issues raised in respect of Six Planning Authoritiesoutlining steps to be taken in the implementation of all 29 recommendations by legislative, regulatory and policy level changes.

Both reports are available on my Department’s website at .