Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We only have a few minutes left but I want to pick up on the discussion around sustainable cities and communities. One of the more significant pieces of work that the Government is doing at present relates to sustainable cities and communities, which is the national planning framework review. I do not know if any of our guests want to comment on this but it seems that it does not get the prominence in these kinds of discussions. Ultimately, this will decide how our urban centres develop, what kind of resource intensity goes with that development and how transport patterns are modified and the energy associated with that.

Mr. Talbot referenced the difficulty with stand-alone housing. It seems that with the national planning framework review, it is not where we need it to be. What disappoints me is that we talk about some issues that are very obvious from an environmental point of view but not perhaps issues that are having more of an impact. Do any of our guests wish to talk about this?

Do they have positions? Have they made submissions to the review process and where would they like to see it going?