I propose to take Questions Nos. 30 and 35 together.
My Department participates in a number of cross-departmental initiatives aimed at tackling social exclusion on a broad basis and which come under the aegis of the Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion. This involves close working with other relevant Departments, including the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Department of Health and Children.
Under the Local Government Act, 1994, local authorities are empowered to provide, operate and maintain parks and open spaces for amenity and recreational purposes. The criteria to be applied to the provision of public open space in housing schemes is a matter for each local authority in accordance with its development plan. When deciding planning applications, a planning authority must have regard to the policies set out in the plan and may attach conditions to permissions requiring the provision of appropriate facilities.
The recently published planning guidelines on residential density indicate that public open space is one of the key elements in defining the quality of the residential environment. The guidelines acknowledge that, in general, planning authorities set out detailed quantitative standards for public open space in their development plans, but that they place less emphasis on qualitative standards. This can give rise to residential estates having adequate amounts of open space, but it may be poorly located or unsuitably shaped, resulting in underused spaces or, in some cases, areas which encourage anti-social activity.
The guidelines indicate that the achievement of higher densities must be coupled with a higher standard of residential environment and thus the provision of higher quality communal and public open spaces is of paramount importance. The guidelines recommend that any acceptance of lower quantitative standards of open space must be accompanied by a parallel increase in the qualitative standards. They also set out detailed qualitative and quantitative standards in relation to the provision of public open space in higher density residential developments.
The provision of open spaces, recreational facilities and amenity areas specifically in local authority housing schemes is also a matter for the individual housing authorities in the first instance. Appropriate facilities of this kind are, on a limited basis, funded as part of the cost of a housing scheme from my Department's capital allocations. Local authorities have been advised, in guidelines issued by the Department, that new housing should comprise small, well-designed schemes, be integrated as far as possible with housing and other developments in the area, create a good living environment for the residents and be convenient to various services and amenities.
Funding is available under my Department's remedial works scheme to assist housing authorities to carry out major essential works of a structural nature to dwellings in designated run-down housing estates. The objective is not only to upgrade the fabric of the dwellings but to improve the living conditions of the tenants. For this reason works of an environmental nature, including certain amenity and recreational facilities, may be included as part of a project where they are considered necessary to support the work undertaken to the dwellings.