Vol. 495 No. 1
298 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on the value of an interdepartmental and interagency approach to the development of an integrated landscape management strategy, particularly with a view to the bringing together of all relevant legislative measures; whether the Government has had approaches seeking its views on these matters from other sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14831/98]
299 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on the way in which the legislative measures administered by the various Government and State agencies address the protection, management, creation and planning of our landscape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14829/98]
300 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the strategies, if any, developed by the Government to guide future developments in the area of the protection, management, creation and planning of our landscape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14830/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 298, 299 and 300 together.
A number of different codes of law and other initiatives have an important role in protecting the landscape. These include the operation of the physical planning code, which is the responsibility of my Department and the habitats regulations and the REP scheme, which do not come within the responsibility of my Department. In this regard, the implementation of the provisions of the planning code is a matter for the individual local planning authorities.
It is essential that those in charge of land use planning are aware of the importance of landscape as the context in which their decisions are taken. I have, therefore, requested my Department to give priority to the preparation of new draft land use planning guidelines on high amenity landscapes and their treatment in local authority development plans.
