Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2017
590. Deputy Josepha Madigan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if there are arrangements to zone residential areas exclusively for older persons who may need special arrangements to cater for their changing lives as they advance in years. [29494/17]
View answerLocal authority development plans prepared under Section 9 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) must include objectives for the zoning of land for particular purposes, including residential uses, where and to such an extent as the proper planning and sustainable development of an area requires such uses to be indicated.
While there is no express provision to zone residential development land for specific types of residential development, such as housing for older persons, Section 94 of the Act requires planning authorities to prepare and include a Housing Strategy as part of their statutory development plans. In preparing such Strategies, section 94(3) of the Act requires planning authorities to take into account the need to ensure that a mixture of housing types and sizes is developed to reasonably match the requirements of different categories of households, including the special requirements of older persons and persons with disabilities.
Therefore, where the relevant Housing Strategy so provides, it is open to planning authorities to ensure that housing proposals coming forward in their areas provide a variety of housing types, including for older persons, matching the requirements set out in their housing strategy.
