Under the 2000 Planning and Development Act, the State's eight regional authorities are required to produce regional planning guidelines for local authorities in the context of the National Spatial Strategy.
Six of the regions - Border, Midlands, South East, Mid-West, South West, West - have produced individual draft guidelines.
A joint strategy has been agreed by the Dublin and Mid-East (Meath, Kildare, Wicklow) regions.
Every day this week The Irish Times will examine the guidelines for each region, starting today with the South East and the South West.
The draft regional planning guidelines are available on each regional authority's website and submissions are invited from the public. Hard copies of each plan can be purchased from the local authorities.