Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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444. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the National Planning Framework proposal to introduce better planning in relation to climate change; the way in which he will ensure the implementation of this planning in view of the timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14602/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The National Planning Framework(NPF), published together with the National Development Plan(NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040on 16 February 2018, sets out an ambitious high-level national vision for Ireland for 2040, and provides the framework and principles to manage future population and economic growth over the next 20 years, catering for around 1 million extra people, 660,000 extra jobs and 550,000 extra homes.

Chapter 9 on Realising our Sustainable Future addresses the key national environmental challenges we face including the need to accelerate action on climate change. The National Policy Objectives iterated in this Chapter acknowledge the importance of the planning system in influencing issues in relation to environmental and sustainability goals.

Project Ireland 2040provides for €22bn investment in climate action related policies which will facilitate the realisation of key policy objectives in line with the NPF principles. Programme and project identification to enable overall implementation of Project Ireland 2040 will also be progressed at national, regional and local levels, through specific measures contained in Project Ireland 2040, allied to forthcoming Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) being developed by the three Regional Assemblies by the end of this year. These Strategies will subsequently be further elaborated upon at local authority city and county development plan levels.

My Department, in a recent Circular (Circular Letter FPS 02/2018), highlighted that from 16th February 2018, in accordance with Section 2 of the Planning and Development 2000 (as amended) and all other related provisions of the Act, including, in particular, Sections 9, 10, 22A, 23, 37A and 143, the NPF replaced the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) and now represents the overarching national planning policy document of direct relevance to the planning functions of regional and planning authorities, including An Bord Pleanála.

Moreover, the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016, currently at Seanad Committee stage, will, once enacted, provide statutory underpinning to the process of implementing, updating and reviewing the National Planning Framework into the future.