29. The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland
RIAI Response to:
Public Consultation on Strategic Issues
& Options Paper for Monaghan County
Council.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) welcomes the Review of
the Monaghan County Development Plan 2019-2025 and Preparation of the
Monaghan County Development Plan 2025-2031 through this Strategic Issues
and Options Paper.
This submission includes input from RIAI committees and taskforces:
RIAI Housing Committee, which is comprised of architects working in housing in
both the public and private sectors. Between the committee members and the
organisations they represent, they act as Architects, Design Team Lead,
Employers Representative, Assigned Certifier and Design Certifier for at least
50% of the housing delivery in Ireland. The committee is therefore well positioned
to comment on housing issues both in Dublin and nationally.
RIAI Urban Design Committee membership consists of architects with an
expertise in urban design, including practitioners from private practice,
education, and the public sector. Promoting urban design as part of the
architect’s core spatial skills and advance the competencies in the subject,
advancing the value of architects in the urban design process. promoting the
continuing inclusion of the key principles of urban design in national policy,
forward planning, and development management, creating public awareness of
the benefits that urban design brings to the quality of everyday life, and the
publication of exemplary practice and evidence-based research in the field of
urban design.
The RIAI Sustainability Task Force is a committee comprised of architects
working in the public and private sectors and in education who are experienced,
skilled and knowledgeable sustainable design practitioners. The committee’s
remit is to promote and further the Architects professional obligation to take a
leading role in tackling climate change in the built environment and on large-
scale master planning projects. The committee works to promote the objectives
of the RIAI Policy on Sustainability (2019) and place the UN Sustainable
Development goals at the core of architectural practice.
RIAI Universal Design Taskforce is comprised of architects who have experience
and expertise in all aspects of accessibility, inclusion and universal design
working as practitioners and policy makers in both the public and private sectors.
The Taskforce works to promote the RIAI Policy Statement on Accessibility,
Inclusion and Universal Design and provide advice to RIAI members.
The RIAI Historic Buildings Committee consists of architects with expertise in the
conservation and repair of our built heritage, which includes practitioners and
policy makers from private practice and public sector
2.0 OBSERVATIONS/ COMMENTS
Having reviewed the Strategic Issues and Options Paper, the RIAI proposes additional questions
to be considered, which is listed as follows:
Vision and Strategy
• Does the Development plan incorporate its own vision statement, to provide an anchor
point for the Development Plan?
• Is there a clear strategy for the Development Plan?
Environmental Assessment and Monitoring
• How does the plan support the National biodiversity plan?
• Look at native woodland afforestation to improve carbon footprint of the county?
• Should Monaghan look at encouraging organic sustainable agriculture?
Settlement Strategy
• How do we support sustainable neighbourhoods?
• Ensure appropriate professional engagement at the earliest stages of projects to ensure
a long-term quality sustainable outcome.
• Given the fact that housing in Monaghan is 60% cheaper than Dublin, commercial office
space is 66% lower than Dublin, and Monaghan is close to the Dublin – Belfast economic
corridor, should the plan be more ambitious for the expansion of Monaghan town to
create new sustainable additions to the town?
• Should the settlement strategy look at potential stronger links with the hinterland in
Northern Ireland?
Housing Strategy
• Is the appropriate housing typology being employed?
• Given higher than average entrepreneurs’ and self-employed persons in Monaghan,
should the strategy build on this innovative profile to include provisions to encourage
further entrepreneurs / owners of small businesses / food production enterprises to settle
in the county? i.e. Should the housing strategy go beyond CSO county trends?
Economic Activity
• How can the county link to surrounding cultural assets in adjoining counties both north
and south of the border?
• Encourage easy sale of local produced food produce which would encourage a high-
quality restaurant economy.
Infrastructure and Services
• Can organic waste be linked to agriculture in the County?
• Look at the potential of producing 60% of energy used within the county by renewables.
Community Services / Facilities
• Are the existing parks, river walks forest areas etc linked in any meaningful way to create
countywide connections for humans and nature?
• How can existing educational, sport and recreational facilities be protected and
improved? And how can wider access be facilitated?
• Are there viable transport links to third level opportunities?
Concluded 06.07.2023