James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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50. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he is satisfied that the process by which local area plans are devised is fit for purpose in view of the fact that expectations can often be raised that zoning will translate to actual land uses, for example, amenity or educational, in view of the fact that a coincidence of zoning, ownership and intention is necessary in reality to achieve the desired outcome. [35357/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There is a comprehensive process for the preparation and adoption of Local Area Plans (LAPs) which is set out in Sections 18, 19 and 20 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). This process provides for extensive public and stakeholder consultation with the adoption of any LAP being a reserved function of the elected members of the relevant local authority. To assist the local authority elected members and executives, the public and wider stakeholders in the LAP making process, my Department prepared and issued Local Area Plans Guidelines for Planning Authoritiesin June 2013 under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). These statutory guidelines include practical advice on all aspect s relating to the preparation and adoption of LAPs, including the phasing of development and engagement around the provision of necessary social and community infrastructure, which needs to be realistic and taking account of the likely availability of funding for such infrastructure, mindful of the broader budgetary and fiscal position of the relevant sponsoring agencies, whether they be the relevant local authority or relevant Government Departments and agencies.

Furthermore, with respect to particular matters relating to the provision of educational facilities, my Department also issued statutory guidelines in 2008 on the Provision of Schools and the Planning Systemwhich is being implemented under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Education and Skills and the local government system, in respect of identification and acquisition of sites for new schools.

Specifically with respect to the provision of infrastructure, the LAP Guidelines strongly recommend planning authorities use the powers available to them under Section 20 (1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) to ascertain the views of different infrastructure providers, land owners and developers with particular regard to how future development and infrastructure provision, such as local transport, schools, amenities and water services, might be effectively phased and integrated.

The Guidelines also stress that the results of such statutory engagement with infrastructure providers is a leading influence, in an iterative manner, on the plan - making process, with the practical effect that statutory plans should avoid identifying areas for development where the relevant physical or social infrastructure provider has clearly indicated that investment in essential supporting infrastructure is unlikely to be provided within the lifetime of the plan.

While keeping the matter under general review, I am satisfied that, in view of the extensive legislative underpinning for LAP and the relatively recent statutory guidance on the matter, the processes for devising and implementing statutory LAPs continue to befit for purpose.