Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Higher buildings are beginning to emerge. Planning permission will probably be granted in the coming weeks or months for the highest building in the country. It is to be built on a super site in the Cork docklands in the middle of the city centre. Planning permission has previously been granted for a building of 36 stories in the docklands in Cork. It is possible for developers to develop very tall buildings if they do so in the right locations. The Deputy is asking me to legislate to require certain building heights in certain areas, or at least the facilitation of certain building heights. In some parts of Dublin, there is no restriction on the height of development for which one can apply . Planning permission has been refused for residential buildings with ambitious heights, such as a recent application for a development in Donnybrook. Perhaps planning guideline issues can be examined to ascertain if it is possible to allow more ambition from the private sector in terms of building higher buildings. However, caution is required. We have an historic and very beautiful city which needs to be protected. However, parts of Dublin have very low population density and if we are serious about providing affordable homes in the city centre, building heights must be more ambitious than previously.

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