Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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171. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he had interaction with a company (details supplied) or the Irish strategic investment fund related to the zoning of lands at Pace, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34290/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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172. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason he changed his position on the zoning of lands at Pace, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34291/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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173. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he considered an SDZ for the lands at Pace, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34292/16]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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174. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the way in which his concerns regarding the proposed zoning of land at Pace, County Meath, were addressed including the detached and distant development from the existing urban area of Dunboyne, the failure to observe sequential development and the impact on traffic volumes on the M3; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34295/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 to 174, inclusive, together.

In making my decision not to issue a Direction to Meath County Council in relation to the zoning issue referred to, I considered all of the relevant information available to me. This included the Council Chief Executive’s report, and recommendations on the submissions received relating to the draft direction. I took into consideration:

The lack of new housing supply coming forward in the Dunboyne area, in particular, development on lands already zoned residential phase 1, despite considerable demand, including as a prerequisite for attracting new FDI;

The objectives of the Economic Development Strategy for County Meath, including the development of Dunboyne as a “live work “ community and one of 5 strategic sites for the County;

The projected demographic patterns for the area as anticipated in the RPGs and need to provide adequate housing and other infrastructure to serve the potential growth;

The proximity of the lands in question to transport infrastructure, including 2 railway stations;

The work undertaken on a transport study (Aecom Transport Consultants) jointly by Meath County Council, Fingal County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland to examine the capacity and operation of M3 junctions/interchanges;

The commitment from Meath County Council that the masterplanned “live work” community will be front loaded so that other development (including residential) will be contingent upon initial employment investment (i.e. no speculative residential development is anticipated without underpinning economic development); and

The fact that the variation will not bring Meath County Council beyond Core Strategy numbers for residential development.

With regard to the question of a Strategic Development Zone for this area I have not received any proposals for designation of this area as an SDZ from the local authority. In addition, I am satisfied that the existing planning policy frameworks that have been developed for Dunboyne and Pace by Meath County Council are robust and forward looking, having been developed through the statutory Development Plan process under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and formally adopted by the Elected Members of the Council.