An Taisce is taking the time necessary to study Minister Hogan’s proposals in full.

In an initial response, the National Trust welcomes the Section 140 planning reform but once more calls on Minister Hogan to implement the Mahon report in full and to appoint an independent planning regulator.

An Taisce welcomes the rationalization of councillors and the move towards local spending of locally raised funding and trusts that the Budget will introduce Site Value Tax, rather than Property Tax, as a fairer means of determining the benefit to a household of the services provided by Local Government.

An Taisce will be studying the boundaries and maps of the proposed new regions and the proposals for reorganising current regional plans, such as planning guidelines, retail guidelines and waste policy, under these new regions.

An Taisce calls for the Government’s recent policy ‘Our Sustainable Future’ to underpin this overhaul and not just be a hastily added extension.

ENDS

For further information, please call:

Charles Stanley-Smith, An Taisce Communications - Tel: 087 2411995