Key planning issues such as urban sprawl, delays in infrastructure delivery and overzoning by local councils could be tackled better through a greater role for regional authorities, according to the Irish Planning Institute (IPI).
Calling for a radical review of the role of regional government, the Institute made a case for directly elected Regional Senators and Regional Mayors, arguing that current problems stem from the fact that the division of tasks between central and local government “leave a lot to be desired”.
The IPI, which represents over 700 of the 1,000 planners working in the public and private sectors in the country, maintains that the time is right to start a debate about the merits of more regional government in the light of the decision of the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley TD, to review local government structures.
(CL/JM)
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