Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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90. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the discussions had with local authorities regarding the dezoning of brownfield sites that have previously been zoned for residential development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12580/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The zoning of land for particular uses is an exercise undertaken as part of the overall statutory plan making function of the local authority under relevant provisions of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended) (the Act). Under this legislation, the decision to zone land is specifically a reserved function of the Elected Members of the Planning Authority.

In preparing their statutory plans, including in relation to the zoning of land for particular purposes, the elected members are required to consider and be consistent with or have regard to, as appropriate, the established statutory national and regional planning policy and legislation, including as identified in the National Planning Framework, Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and relevant Ministerial planning guidelines. Of particular relevance to the matter of development plans and zoning are the Ministerial Guidelines issued in 2022, the Development Plans Guidelines for Planning Authorities.

The Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) was formally established in April 2019 under the Act and one of the core functions of the Office is to undertake the independent evaluation of statutory plans to ensure that such plans under preparation are consistent with national and regional planning policy and legislation, as required by the Act. Where necessary to ensure such consistency, the Office may recommend to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage that a direction should be issued to a local authority to make certain changes to the plan.

As the responsibility for the making of a development plan rests with the 31 local authorities, my Department does not hold data in relation to the 'dezoning' of land within individual plans and the relevant local authority websites may be viewed for such data, where available. However, the OPR website contains information in relation to Section 31 Directions issued further to a recommendation received from the Office: www.opr.ie/