Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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277. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the way his Department proposes to review planning legislation to allow the change of use of vacant commercial properties in cities, towns and villages, including vacant or under-utilised areas over ground floor premises, into residential units without having to go through the planning process, as outlined in point 6 of the action plan for rural development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4114/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Rural Development, which was launched on 23 January 2017, is primarily the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. However, as the proposal listed at Action 6 therein relates to a planning matter, its delivery falls to my Department.

The proposed action – which was also incorporated in the Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness:Rebuilding Irelandpublished in July 2016 – is indicative of the ambitious priority attached to urban regeneration by the Government, as incorporated in the Programme for a Partnership Government, and is one of a series of specific actions proposed to facilitate the regeneration of our urban centres, many of which were adversely impacted by the economic downturn.

To drive forward consideration and implementation of these actions, I have established a Working Group, chaired by my colleague, Damien English, T.D. the Minister of State with responsibility for Housing and Urban Renewal, and comprising senior representatives from my Department, local authorities and other relevant actors, to bring forward proposals for new urban regeneration measures as early as possible. It is intended that the new measures will complement the existing regeneration programme under my Department’s Social Housing Capital Programme, as well as other social regeneration initiatives already under way. The Working Group is due to report by the end of the first quarter of 2017.