Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

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499 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 500[Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin.]supply improvement scheme; when he proposesto issue approval; and if he will make a statementon the matter. [5705/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): The Kenmarewater supply scheme has been included in myDepartment’s water services investment programme2004-2006 as a scheme to commence constructionthis year. Kerry County Council’s preliminaryreport for the scheme is underexamination in my Department and is being dealtwith as quickly as possible.370. Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Ministerfor the Environment, Heritage and LocalGovernment the status of the application byKerry County Council for funding towards theupgrading of the sewerage scheme in Kenmare,County Kerry; and if he will make a statement onthe matter. [5706/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): The Kenmaresewerage scheme upgrade has been included inmy Department’s water services investment programmefor 2004 to 2006 as a scheme to enterplanning at an estimated cost of \1.3 million. MyDepartment is awaiting the submission of adesign brief for the scheme by Kerry CountyCouncil.Departmental Communications.371. Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government ifhis Department had identified difficulties inexternal communications prior to the Governmentassuming office in 2002. [5718/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): My Departmenthas on a number of occasions prior to 2002 identifiedspecific communication requirements whichcould not be met by the resources available inthe Department. On some of those occasions, theshortfall was met by contracting specialistcommunications expertise.In 2000, my Department awarded a contract forassistance in devising and implementing thenational spatial strategy, NSS, communicationscampaign. Included in that campaign were arange of marketing and advertising initiatives, topromote awareness and interest in the NSS, todisseminate information, identify and engage thetarget audience for the consultation process andsupport that process through organising consultationforums at regional level at various stagesduring the strategy’s preparation.In 1998, my Department awarded a contract forassistance with advertising campaigns in connectionwith the draft register of electors and the referendumson the Good Friday Agreement andthe Treaty of Amsterdam. For a number of yearsprior to 2002, specialist assistance was contractedfor anti-litter awareness campaigns. A non-establishedtemporary civil servant acted as communicationsco-ordinator to my Department for theperiod from October 1999 to June 2002.Planning Issues.372. Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government ifhe is aware that a decision was made by BrayTown Council in December 2004 when draftingits town development plan for 2005 to 2011 toadopt a town centre zoning on the most sensitivepart of the flood plain on golf club lands immediatelyadjacent to the Dargle River in Bray, that amajority of elected members on Bray TownCouncil made this zoning decision without havinghad access to the findings of a flood risk studybeing carried out by University College Dublinon behalf of the prospective developers of thesegolf club lands and that this zoning decision doesnot comply with the guidelines issued by theOffice of Public Works for development that isappropriate on flood plains; and if he will makea statement on the matter. [5747/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): The proposedamendments to the draft Bray development planhave been on public display with a view to facilitatingsubmissions from interested persons. It isa matter for the elected members of Bray TownCouncil to adopt the final plan in accordance withthe provisions of the Planning and DevelopmentAct 2000.The question of zoning land for different usesis a matter for each planning authority to addressin the context of its development plan. Under thePlanning and Development Act 2000, planningauthorities may include in their developmentplans objectives regulating, restricting or controllingdevelopment in areas at risk of flooding.Development plan objectives may also includepolicies indicating that developers will berequired to support the funding of flood defencesneeded for particular developments, either partiallyor fully, depending on the circumstancesinvolved.The Office of Public Works, as a prescribedconsultee on all draft development plans underthe Planning and Development Act 2000, has theopportunity as appropriate to ensure that itsviews are considered in the making of developmentplans with particular reference to its statutoryresponsibilities in respect of river drainage,flood relief and localised flooding problems. Irefer also to the reply to Question No. 72 of 9February 2005.Housing Grants.373. Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister forthe Environment, Heritage and Local Government, further to information which has been submittedto his Department recently, the positionregarding a social housing scheme application
501 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 502(details supplied) under the voluntary housingcapital assistance and communal facilities grantscheme; and if he will make a statement on thematter. [5748/05]Minister of State at the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government(Mr. N. Ahern): I refer to my reply to QuestionNo. 521 of 8 February 2005. The additional informationsought from Donegal County Council hasrecently been received and the application isbeing further considered by my Department. Thecouncil will be advised of the outcome as soonas possible.Planning Issues.374. Mr. Carey asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government ifregulations exist to govern the change of use ofretail shop units to chip shops and food takeawayoutlets in general; if regulations exist to governthe change of use of retail shop units to offlicenceshops for the sale of alcohol; if he hasgiven consideration to updating or consolidatingsuch regulations; and if he will make a statementon the matter. [5757/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): The Planningand Development Regulations 2001 provide thatdevelopment which consists of a change of usewithin any one of the certain specified classes ofuse is exempt from the requirement to obtainplanning permission, subject to certain conditions.One of these classes of use is as a shop.The definition of “shop” in the regulationsspecifically excludes use for the sale of hot foodfor consumption off the premises except wherethe sale of such food is subsidiary to the mainretail use.I am considering whether it may be desirableto amend the regulations so that a change of usefrom a shop to an off-licence would require planningpermission. Any such change would requirepositive resolution by both Houses of theOireachtas.Housing Policy.375. Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government ifhis Department has set a housing stock per populationtarget; and if he will make a statement onthe matter. [5762/05]Minister of State at the Department of theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Government(Mr. N. Ahern): The Irish housing stock wasapproximately 390 per 1,000 persons at the endof 2003. While we are moving closer to the EU15 average of 440, such comparisons must takeaccount of differences resulting from demographic,economic and cultural factors. TheGovernment has not, therefore, set a housing targetper head of population. The focus of policy ison seeking to ensure that supply meets prospectiveneeds.We are building houses at a rate of over 19units per 1,000 persons. This is the highest rate ofhouse building in the European Union. Morethan 30% of the entire Irish housing stock hasbeen built over the past seven years. The regionalplanning guidelines, which have been adopted ineach region, incorporate estimates of the populationand household distribution in the region inthe period up to 2020. These guidelines providea strategic, long-term context for local authoritydevelopment plans, particularly in terms of providingthrough the development plan processadequate zoned lands to meet future demands forresidential development.Election Management System.376. Mr. Neville asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Governmentthe reason for the difference in the reply to QuestionNo. 534 of 30 November 2004 indicating thatthe monthly storage cost of electronic votingequipment amounts to \55,000, and the presentationon the subject to the Committee of PublicAccounts. [5768/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): Informationsupplied to my Department by returning officers,which was made available to the Committee ofPublic Accounts at its meeting on 3 February2005, indicates that the total annual storage costsfor the electronic voting system is \658,229, whichis equivalent to less than \55,000 per month.Retail Sector Developments.377. Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Governmenthis views on the concerns of a person (detailssupplied) in County Cork regarding possiblechanges in the retail planning guidelines; and if hewill make a statement on the matter. [5872/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): I refer to myreply to Questions Nos. 524 and 528 of 8February 2005.Property Rights.378. Mr. J. Breen asked the Minister for theEnvironment, Heritage and Local Governmentwhen the report on property rights by the All-Party Committee on the Constitution will beimplemented; and if he will make a statement onthe matter. [5876/05]Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government (Mr. Roche): The Governmentis giving careful consideration to this report,as well as report No. 112 of the National Economicand Social Council, Housing in Ireland: Performanceand Policy, and a report by GoodbodyEconomic Consultants, within the context of itscontinuing commitment to meeting the broad
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