Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank each of the three witnesses for their thought-provoking presentations. On overall strategy and thinking, has there been examination of the general outlook as a result of the pandemic? Anecdotally, there is a suggestion that people want to live in less densely populated areas. According to the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers, people seem to want to move from the more densely populated urban areas to more rural areas. Does that have an impact on what the planning framework is trying to achieve? Could Dr. O'Mahony talk to us about that?

I represent a broadly rural community. What will the rural village of the future be like?

It is good to hear from Mr. Cussen that there is engagement with the local authorities and their members. Will he comment generally about their preparedness for what is coming down the track? It seems to me, from talking to local authority members, that they are now starting to realise the implications for them and for the work they have to do. Can Mr. Cussen give the committee some measurement of where they are at in terms of their acceptance of it or otherwise? Notwithstanding what we have to do on the transport side, there are real concerns - returning to Dr. O'Mahony's point on the quality of life issue for people, which is what we need to be about and should be the central focus - about what those homes of the future will look like.

The witnesses should comment on the lack of willingness by local authorities to invest more heavily in addressing the dereliction that exists in rural villages and towns. I see local authorities across the country which would much rather buy a site on the edge of a village or town and build 20 or 25 local authority houses - this is not coming from private investors, but local authorities - rather than looking through each village and realising that there are 35 or maybe 40 derelict buildings that could be brought back to use. While it is more expensive and more labour intensive, it seems to be the appropriate route to take.