Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

When decisions are being made about zoning, the Department is not dealing with specific sites usually but a large sale of land. It is coming at it from the bird's eye perspective of the land being capable of being serviced and that it could go ahead rather than from the planning perspective, and examining everything from sight lines to how close it is to the other, and all of those issues. Those considerations come in at the time of planning permission.