Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I see conditions requiring the provision of roads and I understand "roads" includes footpaths and cycleways. We have quite a long list of planning conditions that can be applied there but it does not jump out at me. You do want to be on the back foot when putting in a submission on a development plan to say you had requested a condition to be applied to optimise access to local transport links. I see it in my area in newly built housing. People have to walk 300 m or 400 m to a bus stop when it is only over the wall. The developer just did not build it that way.

In planning principles, it is a good idea. Local authorities may not see that it is not there. However, when it is written here that they can optimise access to it, I think it sharpens their mind. This is the section planners will refer to when they are looking at applications.