Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I confirm I am present in Leinster House.

I thank Mr. Cussen for his presentation. I share his concern about some of what I would describe as the attacks made recently on the Office of the Planning Regulator. I want to be very clear about the fact that Deputies and councillors have every right to criticise policy. That is what we are elected to do. What concerns me about the comments, however, is that the criticism is not being directed where it should be, which is at the people who took the policy decisions, who in the first instance include the outgoing Government, in terms of the national planning framework, and the politicians involved in the regional assemblies. I do not want anybody to suggest I am saying politicians should not criticise but, as Mr. Cussen stated clearly, it is not his office that makes the policies; it is politicians who do so and, therefore, criticism should be focused appropriately.

To inform the public debate, it would be very helpful if Mr. Cussen talked us through the issue of where the policies were decided on population targets and densities with respect to the national planning framework and the regional spatial plans of the regional assemblies. Where a councillor in a certain council is not happy with the population targets and strategies, it is important that he or she understand who decided on them. That is my first question.

My second question is with respect to a piece in the Business Postthat seemed to suggest there was a departmental circular issued in the past week that somehow introduced flexibility into the density requirements. My reading of that circular is that it introduces no such thing and that it is consistent with the broad approach of the national planning framework and regional spatial strategy. If Mr. Cussen could clarify the facts of this issue, it would be very helpful.

Compact growth is a key part of Government policy. It is a concept I support but when I examine what is being built, particularly outside the M50 in my constituency and in the commuter belt, I note that much more housing is being built in Kildare, Meath, north Wicklow, south Louth and west Dublin than inside the canals of Dublin city. Could Mr. Cussen comment on that and give us his reflections on why he believes it is the case and why Government policy is not being adhered to given that compact growth has been a policy for some time?