Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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50. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the Meath county development plan process will now be stalled in view of the commitment in the programme for Government to review and extend the National Development Plan 2018-2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17616/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Project Ireland 2040 comprises two principal elements, both of which were published by Government in 2018. The National Planning Framework (NPF) is Ireland’s long-term national spatial planning strategy to accommodate projected future population and economic growth over a 20-year period to 2040.

The other principal element of Project Ireland is the current National Development Plan (NDP), which sets out a €116 billion public capital investment envelope in support of the NPF, to 2027. The aligned and shared vision of the NPF in tandem with the NDP, is an integrated, ‘joined-up’ planning and investment strategy, focused on a series of ten shared national outcomes.

The Programme for Government commits to review of the National Development Plan (NDP) to be brought forward from 2022, to set out an updated NDP for the period to 2031. The Programme for Government also confirms that the updated NDP will remain aligned with the spatial planning strategy in the NPF. Accordingly, it is not proposed to review the NPF at this time.

Further to the NPF, a Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) was prepared by the Regional Assembly for the Eastern and Midland Region in 2019. In accordance with Section 11 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended, review of the Meath County Development Plan must be consistent with both the NPF and the relevant Regional Strategy. The Meath County Development Plan process is underway.

In line with all statutory planning processes in Ireland, the Meath County Development Plan process was extended for a period of 8 weeks from late March 2020 further to legislation enacted in response to the Covid 19 pandemic. This period of extension ceased during May.

Given that the NPF is not being reviewed at present, that the RSES for the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly area has been in place since 2019 and that the Meath County Development Plan review is underway, the process will not be stalled in view of the commitment to review and extend the National Development Plan.