Billy Timmins
Question:346 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans he has in place to bring additional planners into the planning system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22384/00]
Written Answers. - Local Authority Planners.
A number of measures have been taken to ensure an increase in the availability of professional planners in the planning system. My Department has written to planning authorities on a number of occasions asking that they consider the adequacy of their professional-technical and administrative-clerical staffing in order to ensure that the planning system does not cause bottlenecks in meeting demand and delivers the best possible service to the customer. While my Department has approved requests from planning authorities for sanction for additional professional planner posts, I am aware that some authorities have experienced difficulties in recruiting to fill these additional posts. An additional 64 planners were employed by the local authorities between March and July of this year.
In June of this year, I made the Local Government (Planning and Development) Regulations, 2000, which increased the size of exempted domestic extensions from 23 sq. m. to 40 sq. m. This was designed to remove about 30% of planning applications for such extensions from the planning system in major urban areas, to allow planners to concentrate on forward planning issues.
I have been in contact with my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, and the third level education sector with a view to identifying ways of producing more planners through the education system. As a result, from September of this year new and expanded courses in University College Dublin and Dublin Institute of Technology Bolton Street will treble the output of graduate planners in two years time to approximately 75 planners graduating per annum. Further additional courses are also under consideration.
In the interim, to meet the short-term demand, the possibility of employing planners from abroad on fixed term contracts is being examined. My Department will also pursue with the local authorities and the local Government Computer Services Board the use of information technology to streamline planning procedures.