James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

There is a serious problem throughout the length and breadth of this country. I know people who have prime sites in rural and urban Ireland. They are not allowed to construct a house if the site is on a hill, or any sort of a rise in the ground. In recent times, people have been forced to locate their houses in a hollow, or at the bottom of a hill. They are told to move from scenic areas down into the valleys. I live in a house that was built on a prime site almost 300 years ago, in 1728. It is not a blight on the countryside. I am proud of my home, as are many other people whose homes were built at that time. This is a serious problem throughout the length and breadth of this country. Planners are forcing people to construct their homes in hollows. I would like this matter to be addressed in the guidelines the Minister issues to planners. People are being forced to build their houses in valleys, hollows and flood plains. This is a serious situation. A neighbour of mine who applied for planning permission was told last week to locate his new home down from the hill and into the hollow. This does not make sense. The decisions of planners will create problems in the not too distant future and in years to come.

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