Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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473. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department will request Dublin City Council (DCC) and Fingal County Council (FCC) to report on audits of community, educational, health, childcare, recreational facilities and district commercial facilities in the north fringe and south fringe area of DCC and FCC under the Planning and Development Act 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41422/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has no function in relation to requesting a report of audits of the type described by the Deputy and which furthermore are not specifically required by the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). As the Deputy will be aware, the provisions of the Act, both in relation to the preparation of statutory development plans and local area plans, oblige planning authorities to take all relevant and appropriate steps in seeking out the views of the public and both physical and social infrastructure providers, in relation to the provision of that infrastructure.

In that context, the Deputy's request for such information should be made directly to the relevant local authorities, in this case Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council, which analyse both physical and social infrastructure provision and requirements as part of their statutory development plans and local area plans.

As Minister, I have no operational function in relation to the internal preparation of local authority development plans, apart from encouraging and supporting local authorities in achieving the general goal of securing sustainable communities and for which effective planning is essential.