James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We need an inventory of heritage sites and buildings throughout the country.

There is talk of putting in a planning regulator and where he fits into the whole jigsaw. There is a proposal for a new national spatial strategy and we have county development plans, local area plans and regional plans, but these did not tie together during the Celtic tiger years. We need a strategy on the whole issue of planning going forward.

I refer to rural towns and the vacant site levy. Will there be a house value threshold before a local authority can impose a vacant site levy? It would be a handy way for a local authority to get a few euro unless a house value threshold was put in place. Local authorities are starved for funding from central Government and it would be viewed as a source of funding unless some protective measure is put in place.

There is a great deal more to say but the Vice Chairman has reminded me that there is a vote in the Dáil. I am sure we have a few minutes left to get replies to the queries.