23.—(1) (a) The objective of regional spatial and economic strategies shall be to support the implementation of the F170[National Planning Framework] and the economic policies and objectives of the Government by providing a long-term strategic planning and economic framework for the development of the region for which the strategies are prepared which shall be consistent with the F170[National Planning Framework] and the economic policies or objectives of the Government.

(b) The planning and economic framework referred to in paragraph (a) shall consider the future development of the region for which the strategy is prepared for a period of not less than 12 years and not more than 20 years.

(2) The regional spatial and economic strategy shall, for the whole of the region to which the strategy relates and in accordance with the principles of proper planning and sustainable development and the economic policies and objectives of the Government, address the following matters:

(a) any policies or objectives for the time being of the Government or any Minister of the Government, or any policies contained in the F170[National Planning Framework] in relation to national and regional population targets;

(b) in respect of regional economic strategy—

(i) enabling the conditions for creating and sustaining jobs,

(ii) enhancing overall regional economic performance by identifying regional strengths and opportunities having regard to economic and employment trends and the means of maintaining and augmenting regional economic performance,

(iii) proposals for augmenting the economic performance of the region across all relevant economic sectors including, in particular, the foreign direct investment, indigenous industry, small and medium enterprise, tourism, agriculture, forestry, marine and other natural resource sectors,

iv) enhancing regional innovation capacity, including investment in research and development capacity, technology transfer between third level education and enterprise, and up-skilling and re-skilling,

(v) identifying the regional attributes that are essential to enhancing regional economic performance, including—

(I) the quality of the environment,

(II) the qualities of cities, towns and rural areas,

(III) the physical infrastructure, and

(IV) the social, community and cultural facilities,

and

(vi) proposals to maintain or augment, or both, the attributes referred to in subparagraph (v) in such manner as will be implemented under the strategy through the activities of relevant public bodies, private sector investment and the community;

(c) in respect of regional spatial strategy and taking account of the economic dimension of the strategy—

(i) the location of employment, industrial and commercial development,

(ii) the location of retail development,

(iii) the location of housing,

(iv) the provision of transportation, including public transportation, water services, energy and communications networks and waste management facilities,

(v) the provision of educational, healthcare, sports and community facilities,

(vi) the preservation and protection of the environment and its amenities, including the archaeological, architectural and natural heritage,

(vii) landscape, in accordance with relevant policies or objectives for the time being of the Government or any Minister of the Government relating to providing a framework for identification, assessment, protection, management and planning of landscapes and developed having regard to the European Landscape Convention done at Florence on 20 October 2000, and

(viii) the promotion of sustainable settlement and transportation strategies in urban and rural areas, including the promotion of measures to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and address the necessity of adaptation to climate change;

(d) in respect of the evaluation and reporting of the regional spatial and economic strategy, the monitoring and reporting arrangements required to measure progress in addressing the matters referred to in this subsection.

(3) In preparing its regional spatial and economic strategy a regional assembly shall—

(a) ensure that the strategy is, in particular, consistent with—

(i) this Chapter and any regulations made under it,

(ii) national economic policy as set out in relevant government strategies,

(iii) national planning policy as set out in the F170[National Planning Framework],

F171[(iiia) the National Marine Planning Framework, in circumstances where the strategy is likely to affect the maritime area,]

(iv) any relevant directives, policies or guidelines issued by the Minister under the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2014,

(v) any direction by the Minister in respect of such programmes, policies and guidelines of any Minister of the Government (including the Minister) requiring a regional assembly to have regard to, and

(vi) the relevant plans and strategies of public bodies to which section 22A relates and of any other body prescribed by the Minister for the purposes of this section,

(b) consult with the public bodies to which section 22A relates in such manner and to such extent as the Minister may direct in writing, and

(c) co-ordinate the development of its regional spatial and economic strategy in a manner that is, to the greatest extent possible, consistent with the policies of the public bodies to which section 22A relates.

(4) Where the Minister is of the opinion that the adoption of any provision of a draft regional spatial and economic strategy would be inconsistent with Government policy, then the Minister may, after consultation with such other Minister of the Government (if any) as the Minister considers necessary in the circumstances, direct a regional assembly not to adopt the draft strategy with those provisions in it or incorporate appropriate amendments to ensure consistency with the policies and objective of the Government, and the regional assembly concerned shall act accordingly.

(5) The Minister may, for the purposes of giving effect to Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 27 June 2001 on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment ¹, by regulations make provision in relation to consideration of the likely significant effects on the environment of implementing regional spatial and economic strategies.

(6) An appropriate assessment of a draft regional spatial and economic strategy shall be carried out in accordance with Part XAB.

(7) (a) When making a regional spatial and economic strategy the regional assembly shall take account of the proper planning and sustainable development of the whole of the region to which the strategy relates, the statutory obligations of any local authority in the region and any relevant policies or objectives for the time being of the Government or of any Minister of the Government, including any national plans, policies or strategies specified by the Minister to be of relevance to the determination of strategic economic and planning policies.

(b) When making a regional spatial and economic strategy which affects the Gaeltacht, the regional assembly shall have regard to the need to protect the linguistic and cultural heritage of the Gaeltacht.

(c) When making a regional spatial and economic strategy the regional assemblies in respect of the GDA shall ensure that the strategy is consistent with the transport strategy of the NTA.

(8) Without prejudice to the generality of subsections (2) and (3), the Minister may issue guidelines on the content of regional spatial and economic strategies and regional assemblies shall have regard to those guidelines.]