Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 December 2015
194. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will immediately designate the Dublin north fringe region and Fingal south as a strategic development zone to ensure the urgently needed new homes in Dublin Bay North and Dublin North are delivered by 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44301/15]
View answerA significant quantity of land has been zoned for new residential development along the northern edges of Dublin City, situated within the Fingal County Council and the Dublin City Council administrative areas.
The future development of these lands has been comprehensively planned by the relevant planning authorities through the preparation of several local area plans (LAP’s) including the Baldoyle-Stapolin LAP and Portmarnock South LAP (Fingal) and the Clongriffin-Belmayne LAP (Dublin City).
These LAPs provide for the future delivery of substantial levels of new and badly needed housing in a sustainable fashion in tandem with the provision of new educational, transport, recreational, community and other infrastructure.
I am satisfied that the existing planning policy frameworks that have been developed for these areas by the relevant local authorities are robust and forward looking, having been developed through the statutory Local Area Plan process under Section 18 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and formally adopted by the Elected Members of the each Council.
I am therefore of the view that sufficient effort has been expended by the relevant planning authorities in planning the future development of these areas and both I and the Government expect to see the areas developed to meet the needs for housing rather than a further forward planning exercise being undertaken.
In view of the fact that I have not received any proposals for designation of this area as an SDZ from the local authorities concerned, I consider that what we require at this point is implementation of the plans in place and delivery of urgently required housing.
