asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware of the great concern experienced by people in County Galway over the interpretation and operation of the Local (Planning and Development) Act, 1963; and if he will take steps to amend this Act in order to ease the present planning restrictions on the building of private houses on privately owned sites.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Planning Restrictions.
9.
No specific complaints or suggestions of the nature in question have reached me, but I received a request from the county council on 25th June to convene a conference of county engineers to consider the manner of dealing with planning applications relating to buildings in remote areas. The minutes of the council meeting indicated that there was some concern over the type of plan required to show the siting or location of houses. A reply sent to the council on 27th July dealt with the matter at some length. It was pointed out that the planning authority had discretion as to what type of plan should be deemed adequate and that a drawing which was reasonably clear as to location, siting and dimensions should be acceptable. Particulars were furnished of steps taken in other counties to overcome similar problems. Furthermore, it was proposed that the matter should be discussed at one of the planning seminars organised by the Department and An Foras Forbartha for the benefit of planning authorities. If the interpretation of the Act or of the regulations is felt to be continuing to cause hardship, I should like to have particulars so that the matter can be taken up with the planning authority.
The Minister is not considering going to Galway to explain it?
I have been there already.
We asked him to come to Meath.