Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 13 December 2016
Select Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government
Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016: Committee Stage (Resumed)
2:10 pm
Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source
This is a very important point. A change to reduce standards is significant. The quality of life for families is very difficult in many apartments, particularly if they go above a certain number of floors. My key point is that the physical environment in which the apartments are located is one aspect but the recreational and other amenities nearby are another. Many European cities have more open space and places for activities adjacent to high rise buildings. Quality of life is a significant issue and is affected by the quality of the built environment. It goes back to a point I made earlier, and I do not think anybody present disagreed with it, as Deputy Ó Broin proposes that open space and indoor recreation space and facilities lead to the quality of the environment and that is important in determining the quality of life.
It is the Minister's prerogative to make the decision.
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