Vol. 537 No. 3
38 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has given consideration to the revision of the strategic planning guidelines for Dublin in favour solely of consolidating the metropolitan area which is clearly not being achieved. [15652/01]
The strategic planning guidelines for the greater Dublin area, which were published on 25 March 1999, set out an integrated land use and transportation framework for the sustainable development of the greater Dublin area, comprising the Dublin and mid-east regions. The guidelines set out separate development strategies for the metropolitan area and the hinterland area, as defined in the guidelines.
In relation to the metropolitan area, that is, the existing built up area of Dublin and its immediate environs, the guidelines propose that the area should be consolidated in line with the principles of sustainable development. The guidelines indicate that the consolidation of the metropolitan area will allow it to accommodate a greater population than at present.
The question as to whether any change should be made to the strategic planning guidelines is primarily one for the Dublin and mid-east regional authorities. However, given that land use trends by their nature take some time to alter, it would seem premature at this stage to require the guidelines to be reviewed. In any event, I anticipate the guidelines will need to be reviewed when the national spatial strategy is published towards the end of this year and there would be no point in engaging in a separate exercise at this stage.
Is the Minister familiar with the expression "cappuccino cowboys"? It is used to describe the American phenomenon of urban dwellers seeking to live in rural settings. Will he accept that he is presiding over our version of "cappuccino cowboys" where families are forced to move from where their housing needs are in Dublin or other urban settings to live in other areas? How can the Minister say he is happy with the guidelines? Clearly, they are not being adhered to and are vague. As far as the hinterland of Dublin is concerned, it is not clear what is intended by the guidelines. Even if they were clear and were being complied with, they are producing catastrophic settlement results. Families are being forced not just to the outer regions of the counties around Dublin but up to 70 and 80 miles away. That is an irreversible trend. How can the Minister stand over this and lecture local authorities on what should happen when he is responsible for what is happening?
I am flattered the Deputy thinks I could be single-handedly responsible for so much. The strategic planning guidelines were published on 25 March 1999 and put in place shortly afterwards. It is a little early to claim the guidelines, which were put in place to counteract the effects of what was happening in the greater Dublin area at the time, are to blame for what is happening. The guidelines are designed to reverse or slow down what is happening, but to expect them to do that within 18 months of being put in place is unrealistic.
Regarding the point about the strategic planning guidelines not being complied with, if local authorities do not comply with those guidelines, now that the Planning and Development Act, 2000, is in place they must have regard to those guidelines. In a number of instances where local authorities appeared not to be in compliance with the strategic planning guidelines, because of the powers vested in me by the Planning and Development Act, 2000, I have been in a position to write to tell them I felt they were not in compliance with the strategic planning guidelines and to ask them to revise their development plans. Therefore, there is such a power which never existed previously. Certainly no power was used previously.
The Deputy is being very unfair in blaming the strategic planning guidelines which were put in place to solve the problem she is highlighting. Given time, in the context of the national spatial strategy we will certainly be in a position to reverse some, but not all, of the trends which have emerged over the past four or five years.
I accept that the aspirations of the guidelines were highly desirable but what I am pointing out to the Minister is that the evidence of our own eyes shows, and all the best planning advice is, that the guidelines are now being interpreted in a way which is locating Dublin families too far away from Dublin for a sustainable way of life and yet too near to Dublin to avoid the drag of Dublin. Would the Minister not accept that all the advice now is to revise those plans and at least bring clarity to them? Simply writing to local authorities and asking them for explanations will not change settlement strategies. He has a very short time in which to do so because the house buying population bulge has about five years to run. If he does not move now, it will be too late.
We must proceed to Question No. 39.
