Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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1065. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the specific guidance he will provide to local authorities that are required to hold statutory meetings that are open to members of the public to consider their proposed county development plans, which are currently under review. [7841/20]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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My Department has taken a number of important steps in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that our planning system continues to operate in a manner that will ensure public participation throughout the period of public health restrictions.

On 29 March 2020, following on from the statement by An Taoiseach on 27 March 2020, which asked people generally to stay at home other than for certain essential activities, and taking account of the considerations under Section 251A(5) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, the Government, at my request, made an Order which extended a range of specified/appropriate periods and timelines under the Act, and a number of other related Planning Acts and associated regulations. A number of further Orders were made subsequently, the combined effect of which meant that such periods were ultimately extended in duration from 29 March 2020 to 23 May 2020 inclusive, comprising a total period of eight weeks (56 days).

While it was decided not to further extend the Section 251A Order after 23 May, the additional period of eight weeks carries forward into all statutory planning processes and is applicable to county development plans.

The agreed programme between my Department and the City & County Management Association (CCMA) for the phased re-establishing of local authority services has identified county/city development plan activities as restarting in Phase 4 of the Government's Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business. Accordingly, a majority of planning authorities now intend commencing or re-commencing their statutory development plan preparation processes, subject to the extended eight week period, resulting in a series of new public consultation and plan display exercises from late Summer and into the Autumn.

The county/city development plan procedure includes public participation as a central part of the plan-making process with specified requirements for public display and consultation. Planning authorities engage with the public through a wide range of different channels and media, including written documentation and submissions, online content and face-to-face forums which often build on established business and community engagement activities and networks.

As part of these public participation exercises, there is a statutory requirement to hold public meetings at the initial county/city development plan consultation stage. While such events can involve large public meetings at a limited number of venues, more recent practices have centred around a workshop format where individuals in small groups can more easily and comfortably have the opportunity to articulate their opinion and to contribute to the plan making process.

A specific Working Group has been convened by my Department and the CCMA to examine the particular COVID-19 issues impacting on the operation of the planning system. This Working Group has met on a number of occasions in relation to the reopening of planning services in a manner that is in accordance with public health restrictions and also provides for public participation. This work has initially concentrated on the development management function, relating to planning applications and associated services.

The Working Group will subsequently be focusing on issues concerning the preparation of statutory development plans by the local authorities, including county/city development plans. It is intended that this will inform the local government sector in fulfilling statutory and administrative obligations in the development plan process in a manner that is both safe and accessible.