Mr. David O'Connor:

I will be brief. We have highlighted Blackrock because we have an evidence base there but really the measures emphasised by my colleague, Dr. Rock, could apply to many places such as in the Deputy's constituency. We have done much civic engagement around there. A mixture of public and private investment and measures within Housing for All such as land value sharing and urban development zones cannot be overstated in their importance, especially in urban areas where, unfortunately, there has been a tradition of speculation and land values being pushed upwards. That level of public investment is absolutely vital in creating the type of mixed neighbourhoods and quality of community facilities.

In many cases the type of densification or density can be overstated. Freiburg has been alluded to in Dr. FitzGerald's NESC report and in such places the densities are not that much higher than what we have been able to achieve in Dublin and other Irish cities. It is about the quality of the neighbourhood and the design of those places.