Vol. 450 No. 3
33 Mr. Kirk asked the Minister for the Environment his views on a possible change in population settlement policy in view of the concentration of people in the greater Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2013/95]
It is a general principle of Government policy to promote balanced regional development. The National Development Plan, 1994 to 1999, and the Operational Programmes under the Community Support Framework all aim to give effect to this policy. The ongoing decentralisaton of Government Offices is another facet of the policy.
The policy agreement, A Government of Renewal, includes two specific provisions which should contribute towards balanced regional development. The first of these is the commitment to expand the role of regional authorities to include the preparation of regional development strategies which would take account of the strengths and opportunities of each region and include appropriate objectives for each region. The second is the proposal to draw up a national land use policy plan to provide guidelines for both national policy decisions and planning authorities in relation to the location of agricultural, industrial, forestry, aquacultural and tourism developments. I would also draw attention to the decision to appoint a Minister of State with special responsibility for co-ordinating the Government's commitment to western development and rural renewal.
In the last analysis, settlement decisions are largely matters of personal choice. However, implementation of the Government's policy on balanced regional development, with an improved dispersal of services, should offer people a greater choice of location and have a beneficial impact on settlement patterns.
