Written answers

Wednesday, 24 March 2021

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Land Issues

Photo of Violet-Anne WynneViolet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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690. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will address a matter regarding development on lands (details supplied). [15143/21]

Photo of Peter BurkePeter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The zoning of land for particular uses is an exercise undertaken as part of the overall statutory development plan function under sections 9-13 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended). Under this legislation, the decision to zone land for development is specifically a reserved function of the elected members of the planning authority, in this case Clare County Council, and this includes the zoning of lands for residential development in order to meet the identified housing needs of the local authority.

In preparing the development plan, the consideration and decision on what particular lands to zone is therefore taken by the elected members and is required to be consistent with national and regional planning policy and legislation, including as identified in the National Planning Framework, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and Ministerial planning guidelines.

In order to ensure that development can take place on lands that are zoned for development, national policy is that planning authorities would identify and zone lands that are serviced, and, lands that are considered serviceable within the life of the plan. It follows that lands that cannot be serviced within the life of a development plan, should not be zoned for development.

This is supported by the provision in the planning act that there shall be no presumption that any land zoned for development in a development plan shall remain so zoned in any subsequent plan. It is important that zoned land can be developed as intended, as planning authorities must ensure that there is sufficient residential land available to meet identified housing needs.

While I am supportive of measures to facilitate the servicing and development of zoned land within the life of the relevant development plan, that may be taken locally and that can meet all required planning and environmental standards with the agreement of the relevant agencies, the Water Services Acts 2007-2017 set out the arrangements in place for the delivery of water and wastewater services by Irish Water. Since 1 January 2014, Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels and it is not possible to revert such functions on a case-by-case basis.

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