Mr. Niall Cussen:

As well as the broad consistency between the regulatory and the policy contexts set for planning authorities by the Oireachtas, the Minister and so on, we also want to ensure that context is applied sensitively and appropriately to the local circumstances. It is not just a question of ticking a box and one is compliant with the requirements. When one actually reads the guidelines on density, it makes the point, that one takes care on how the standards are applied, not in some sort of slavish mathematic way, but that they are properly and sensitively applied to local circumstances. Where we have taken issue, it has been with the one-size-fits-all medium to low density approach and its implications for infrastructure delivery and, indeed, the sense of place that Deputy Cian O'Callaghan mentioned earlier. Guidelines set a broad framework, how they are applied in practice is crucially important. We look at the two.