• To remind planning authorities of their statutory obligations under Part VIII of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2012.
• To require planning authorities to undertake appropriate monitoring of planning enforcement; and,
• To direct planning authorities to prioritise large-scale unauthorised development and enforcement cases.
Minister O'Sullivan said that, “a fully effective planning system requires rigorous implementation of policy and legislation throughout the forward planning, development management and enforcement stages. Ireland's performance on planning enforcement has been patchy and we need to address that. Those responsible for breaching planning legislation need to know that they will face the consequences of their actions and those that want to see the law upheld need to know that the system has teeth. The Policy Directive is an important step and needs to be viewed as part of a wider range of actions I am taking to ensure full and effective implementation of the enforcement provisions set out under Planning Legislation.
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"This Directive is intended primarily to serve as a reminder to planning authorities that planning enforcement is a critical function that needs to be properly resourced at a sufficiently senior level. It also requires planning authorities to report comprehensively and formally on the enforcement activity they carry out and to provide whatever assistance is necessary in the future to raise public awareness about planning enforcement.
"Finally, it provides clear guidance to planning authorities that, in carrying out their enforcement function, they need to prioritise the most significant breaches of the planning code, namely unauthorised quarrying activities or those cases which would have come within the scope of the EIA Directive and, the Habitats Directive."
(CD/MH)
