Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Cussen for his contribution and, most of all, for the two years of incredible work, including the annual report and the submission made to the committee today. The leaflets are a fantastic initiative. The Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, was part of their launch and they have been very helpful and informative.

My question is on residential provision. We are in a crisis and there is great demand for all types of residential properties and all types of tenure. I live in the constituency of Dublin South-Central, within which huge developments are planned on brownfield sites along Davitt Road, Bluebell and Kylemore. They are close to the Luas and to the city. There is an interesting balance, or interchange, between a need for density, climate and land availability, and all of these come into play. How does Mr. Cussen adjudicate on infrastructural supports and their adequacy with regard to predictions for schools, existing village type infrastructures and amenities? He has commented on how intricate it is.

One evening recently, a good friend counted all of the white vans she saw on a walk in the Bluebell and Kylemore area. She counted more than 60. She has also counted taxis. If we look at the existing types of employment in these areas how do we protect them so that future residents have the possibility of similar employment given the reduced parking capacity and high density apartments? How is this factored into Mr. Cussen's recommendations or considerations? If the nature of employment in these areas is not considered where should it be considered? Where should we plan for this?