Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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76. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to publish legislation to provide for local area committees for towns and cities in which expansion into neighbouring counties requires planning across county boundaries; his plans to set up these committees in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54555/18]

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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It is my intention, in the coming months, to publish legislation to place local authority cross boundary cooperation on a statutory basis in certain circumstances where urban settlements have extended beyond county boundaries.

These provisions envisage the establishment of urban area committees where the results of a population census show that at least 1,500 persons or 10% of the area's population are living in the administrative area of another local authority. This will apply to urban areas with a population between 1,500 and 100,000, thereby encompassing Athlone, Bray, Carlow, Carrick-on-Shannon, Drogheda, Limerick, Portarlington and Waterford. It is envisaged that urban area committees will perform local area planning functions for towns and their contiguous areas as determined by the committee, or failing that, as ordered by the Minister.

Membership of the committee would be equally drawn from both local authorities and would consist of councillors from the relevant local electoral areas as well as the Cathaoirleach of each of the local authorities. Provision for participation in a non voting capacity for experts in the areas of transport, infrastructure, housing or business is also envisaged.

The legislative proposals will be developed further to enable wider consultation ahead of their ultimate publication.