Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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276. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to review the figures contained in the national spatial strategy following the publication of the 2016 census of population; if he will ensure balanced regional development; if so, the way it is intended to achieve this aim; if his attention has been drawn to the CSO's population projections to 2031, which test a number of scenarios and project that Dublin and counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow combined will by 2031 account for 42% of the population, up from 39.2%; if he has reviewed the regional and county projections in the context of the development plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5730/17]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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277. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the CSO has projected a combined population increase for counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow to 2031 of between 78,000 and 144,000 (details supplied); if he has considered how this compares with the figures contained in the regional planning guidelines; if he has considered the public infrastructure investment that will be required to accommodate this increase; the plans which are provided for this; his plans to review the regional guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5731/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, a new National Planning Framework (NPF) is being prepared by my Department on behalf of Government and will address the issues raised in her questions.

The NPF, titled Ireland 2040 – Our Plan will act as the successor to the National Spatial Strategy 2002 (NSS) and will be Government’s strategic 20 year-plus framework for the development of Ireland to 2040.

The NPF will set a new strategic planning and development framework for the co-ordination of a range of national, regional and local authority policies and activities, planning and investment. The action being undertaken now to develop the NPF flows from commitments in the Programme for a Partnership Government and Rebuilding Ireland, the Government’s Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness.

I launched the national consultation on Ireland 2040 – Our Plan on 2 February 2017. This initial consultation process will run until 16 March 2017, during which time any interested party may make a submission on-line, by email or in writing.

Submissions made will be considered and taken into account. In addition, on foot of the finalised Census 2016 results due to be published in April 2017, my Department will review and analyse all of the statistical data provided and ensure the most recent and accurate data is considered and reflected in any evidence - based proposals that may form part of a draft NPF.

At this point, I anticipate that a draft NPF will be finalised for submission to Government in Q2 2017, after which it will be published for consultation, with a view to its conclusion by end Autumn 2017.

As part of the work underpinning the NPF, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) is currently working with my Department to develop an economic model and baseline scenario that will allow consideration of a range of future development options.

In addition, my Department is currently engaged in technical analysis of the 2016 Census in the context of providing medium to longer-term national and regional population and housing requirement estimates for the NPF, which, in turn, will inform new Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSES), succeeding the existing Regional Planning Guidelines.

As part of the launch of the initial consultation, a detailed ‘issues and choices’ consultation paper was published as well as several shorter summary documents and related material. The consultation paper specifically devotes a section to the regions and the topic of balanced regional development. In the meantime, my Department is analysing regional growth capacity and infrastructure. The next steps are to formulate long term objectives, develop scenarios and test options against objectives to develop a recommended strategy and implementation measures.  All of the relevant documentation is available on the dedicated NPF website - www.ireland2040.ie - which will act as a ‘hub’ for general public and stakeholder interaction throughout all phases of the NPF preparation process.

I will give consideration to advancing interim guidance to planning authorities on the appropriate population estimates that their statutory plans should provide for, in advance of the publication of the RSESs, and on foot of the publication of the draft NPF, so that statutory plans reflect the latest Census data and plan pro-actively for the future on a sound and integrated basis.

In the meantime, my Department is satisfied that as regards the major metropolitan areas, in particular, where new housing demand is most acute, the existing round of Regional Planning Guidelines continue to provide a reasonable basis for planning for growth and housing provision and for consideration of housing proposals by planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála, ahead of updated guidelines being finalised.