Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for that and for all the hard work. I would have seen the SHDs as being a solution, had they operated as intended, to the change management we need to embrace in that we will have to go higher or have greater density and have a change in how people live as well. Coupled with the strengthened development plan process, the housing needs analysis and that all feeding into the development plan, I can see it as being very coherent.

As a barrister, I am very keen on opinion being strong; it is just being sure. I have given feedback on SHDs as a councillor in South Dublin County Council and yet found that those inputs from the people on the ground and the representatives representing the people on the ground were completely abandoned by An Bord Pleanála. While respecting the board's independence, at the same time that is very frustrating. I sincerely hope the 247A procedure takes away that which has undermined this process and it addresses that by being a good, strong filtering and that opinion will be such.