Ms Anne Marie O'Connor:

The round of the development plans we currently have was done subsequent to the national planning framework, which was introduced in 2018. A key part of that process was refocusing away from population based on housing, because that provides a lot more transparency and is a lot more meaningful in terms in what we need to serve our citizens. Those numbers were reflective of the modelling that was done at that time. It is generally accepted that that modelling underestimated the level of net immigration. That was a factor of the economic growth we have experienced, fortunately, in the past six years. As a result, the numbers needed to be reviewed and increased. That process has been undertaken and the new figures have come out through the revision of the national planning framework.

That is all part of a well functioning process. Targets are in place. They are reviewed, changed and adapted, according to needs.