10 DFómh 2011, 11:37
Planning regulations should not reduce, either directly or indirectly, the continuing location of pharmacies in town and village centres, according to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Environment, Transport, Culture and the Gaeltacht.
Following its meeting on 4th October, the Committee has written to Phil Hogan, TD, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to ensure that nothing in the planning regulations should impact on the continuing location of pharmacies in town and village centres where they are easily accessible to the entire community and not just to those who have access to automobiles or other forms of transport.
Committee Chairman Ciarán Lynch, TD said: “The Committee considers it essential to the well-being of local communities and the people who live in them that essential services are maintained on the ground in these communities. People should not be limited in their access to such services by the development of large multi-service stores located on town peripheries away from residential areas. The multi-store centre has its place but it must not be allowed to take away from the vibrancy of old established urban communities which rely for their ongoing integrity on a suitable mixture of a residential community serviced locally by retail, service and community outlets.”
At its meeting the Committee had considered a report prepared on behalf of the Irish Pharmacy Union by BMA Planning and Development Consultants on the planning implications for retail pharmacy businesses.
For further information please contact:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee Membership
Deputies:
Ciarán Lynch, Labour Party (Chairman)
Noel Coonan, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
James Bannon, Fine Gael
Paudie Coffey, Fine Gael
Terence Flanagan, Fine Gael
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Fine Gael
Tony McLoughlin, Fine Gael
Patrick O’Donovan, Fine Gael
Brian Walsh, Fine Gael
Kevin Humphreys, Labour Party
Gerald Nash, Labour Party
Seán Kenny, Labour Party
Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil
Niall Collins, Fianna Fáil
Sandra McLellan, Sinn Féin
Dessie Ellis, Sinn Féin
Brian Stanley, Sinn Féin
Clare Daly, Socialist Party
Catherine Murphy, Independent
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Independent
Senators:
Cáit Keane, Fine Gael
Catherine Noone, Fine Gael
Labhrás Ó’Murchú, Fianna Fáil
Ned O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil
Eamonn Coghlan, Independent