Mr. Niall Cussen:

Again, these are ultimately matters for the Government in the context of the implementation of the national planning framework. The Senator might note, however, that there is some strong content in the national planning framework relating to that, in particular the putting in place of a programme that would in effect incentivise or enable the coming forward of brownfield and regeneration opportunities in smaller towns and villages, so the very alternative he is talking about is there. I think many people who choose, in effect, the rural settlement option are often very interested in the option of being able to locate in a smaller town or village, particularly if self-build site options etc. are available at modest cost with the infrastructure laid out. Going back to our public awareness brief, we raised this in our sponsorship of one of the "Eco Eye" series which looked at this very topic and how some local authorities, especially Tipperary County Council, have been very proactive in this space. There are certainly some opportunities to look at those examples, and we are very happy to engage with Louth County Council on how to square that circle or address that dilemma in a positive and proactive way.