Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Ryan and Ms Martin for their contributions. I have two quick observations. I touched on the permeability issue. It would be helpful for the committee, or perhaps just for myself, to know that it is an ongoing battle to try to instill that. I do not want to sound pompous. I am a former local authority member. I really enjoyed my time on the local authority. I went through two development plans as a local authority member. However, it really needs to be instilled among local authority members that permeability, particularly in a built environment, has to be an integral part of a planning application and its granting because if one does not have permeability one has isolated island communities. My constituency colleague and I would know of several desperate examples of bad planning in the county of Fingal dating back generations that have led to all sorts of problem from a social perspective because there are isolated islands of development with no footpath linkage, in one case, even after 40 years. Permeability is key. It aids healthy environments and healthy living. It permits parents to have peace of mind. Both Deputy O'Reilly and I are parents. I would very much like to be able to allow my children to walk to school at some point in the future when they are old enough. At present, I would not because it is not safe. That is a regret. I am sure it is a consideration of parents up and down the country. From our perspective, as the Committee on Children and Youth Affairs, that is the primary objective in this process.

Ms Martin mentioned earlier that the LUTS committee was looking at developing guidelines in a general sense. That would be helpful. I do not expect the LUTS will have them finalised before this committee publishes its report. It would be helpful if such guidelines were circulated to all public representatives, both at local authority and Oireachtas levels, because it is something that might be missed by them. It is integral because it covers every bit of what we do as public representatives, both at national and local level.