Call for defibrillators to be included in planning conditions for all new housing estates

A REQUIREMENT to install AED defibrillators should be included as part of the planning conditions for new housing estate, according to Trim councillor Ronan Moore who said that the cost was relatively small in terms of overall spend for developers and could help save lives.

Cllr Moore brought forward a motion asking the council to write to the Minister for Housing to request that as part of the conditions for planning applications for new housing estates, developers must install AEDs and also to request a grant programme for existing residential developments to apply for funding to purchase and install AEDs.

He said the closer an AED is to the person that needs it, the more chance they have of surviving and that by having more AEDS in places of concentration it improves people's chances of survival. In a written response the council said it would consult with the Forward Planning and Development Management SPC regarding the inclusion of planning conditions in planning decisions where appropriate and that it would write to the Minister in relation to a grant programme for existing residential developments.

The motion was supported by councillors and agreed.