Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 February 2017
170. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the consultations to date with the Northern Ireland authorities on the new national planning framework; his plans to have further consultations to enable the planning and provision of services on a cross-Border basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6337/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new National Planning Framework (NPF), Ireland 2040 – Our Plan, will provide the strategic 20 year-plus framework for the development of Ireland to 2040.
Cross-border co-operation between Ireland and Northern Ireland on planning matters has been ongoing for many years as evidenced by the publication of a Framework for Co-operation: Spatial Strategies of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in 2013. Officials from my Department meet on a quarterly basis with their equivalents in Northern Ireland in the new Department for Infrastructure, who are in turn members of my Department’s National Planning Framework Advisory Group.
The NPF detailed ‘issues and choices’ consultation paper, which I launched on 2 February 2017, addresses a range of issues, including Ireland in an island context, and can be found on the website mentioned below. I am determined that the NPF will be an outward looking document, recognising in particular the opportunities for working within a wider Island context with Northern Ireland and in an east-west context with the wider UK area.
As the NPF process moves into the framework development stage in the coming months, my Department will be engaging with relevant Departments in Northern Ireland and through the British-Ireland Council Spatial Planning Workstream on a range of technical areas including forecasting, policy option development and evaluation and environmental assessments in a trans-boundary context. I anticipate a draft NPF will be finalised for submission to Government in Q2 2017, after which it will be published for consultation, with a view to its conclusion by end Autumn 2017.
All of the relevant documentation is available on the dedicated NPF website, www.ireland2040.ie, which will act as the portal for general public and stakeholder interaction throughout all phases of the NPF preparation process.
