Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is like the point I made earlier about zoning objectives or strategic local objectives. One strategic local objective I worked on that sticks in my mind is where we wanted a certain amount of land set aside for a park. In our mind, that would be one full park. The developer came along and decided it would be several little pocket parks. It has not proceeded and I do not know where it is at the moment but if it is too prescriptive, there is no room for innovation, imagination or coming along with something better. We need to find the balance. It always comes back to two things with planning decisions: sustainability, which has to be key, and the common good or common interest. That is where we need to go with all our planning and the legacy we must leave from planning decisions.

The planning system has come in for criticism here today, and planners maybe, but it is participative, democratic and open through the entire process. From the elected Members of the Oireachtas who pass the national planning framework to the regional plans by councillors, the county plans, the decisions made in those plans, the opportunity to make submissions on applications and to appeal them and through all parts of the planning process, there is involvement. How do we pull people into it and ensure the involvement is not at the last minute to block or stop, is non-confrontational and that we get it right from the start?

In terms of the development plans, has there been consideration of more detail on mapping or even modelling in areas so that people can see what is likely to go in on a zoning and the type of thing they can expect? For some people it is hard to interpret what a colour on a map at 45 to the hectare is, but if one could see that 45 to the hectare could look like one big block or like several things, that helps people to engage.