Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank all the witnesses for coming before us. I have read the opening statements so I am happy to go straight into some questions.

I will go initially to the Land Development Agency. It is probably topical today with the decision this morning to expand the role of the agency, which is very welcome. In its short lifetime it has made significant progress on its role, and it is good to see that role expanded geographically and in other ways. I very much welcome that. I will focus on the opening statement in terms of the key challenges the Land Development Agency has outlined. They are listed in front of us - zoned land, issues relating to servicing of land and so on - and they are all significant. I ask initially about the proposals from the Government, in terms of the national planning framework, to release zoned land. I ask for the Land Development Agency's view on that as to how successful it will be.

If I may, I will raise another topic in my initial comments as regards judicial reviews, which have been mentioned as one of the key challenges. I know the Land Development Agency is tied up in particular on one site in Dundrum in relation to up to 900 units. I would like some commentary from the agency on judicial reviews and the new planning rules that are coming in and, as I said, the zoned land.

I will leave it at that for now.