Mr. Aebhric McGibney:

I will give one example of a problem that a directly elected mayor or somebody with responsibility of Dublin could look after. One of the biggest challenges for Dublin is that its population has continued to grow. The greater Dublin area includes Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, including towns like Naas and Bray; it is not a land grab but it is a functional area. Based on the 2022 census, the population of the greater Dublin area is pretty much at the number it was expected to be at in 2031. Not enough housing is being built in Dublin. There are serious challenges with that. A lot of good work is being done with developing brownfield sites. There are many issues with the cost of construction etc. We are dezoning land in some of the areas outside that even in the local authority areas around Dublin, for example in Bray, Greystones etc., during a housing crisis. Who is watching those details, joining the dots and looking at the transport lines? The Cathaoirleach, who is not here today, has spoken about transport links, rail links, to Wicklow and Wexford, and getting down that way. That is an improvement that is needed. If we want more people living in those commuter towns which are commutable by public transport, it is about that joined-up thinking between land use and transport. That is where I would first look.