Maria Bailey (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to comment on the national planning framework. This has been a long process. We have heard many comments from people who have said they did not have the opportunity for consultation or to make their views heard. Some have said that there has not been a bottom-up approach or that it has not been diverse enough. Others have said that there has not been an extensive consultation.

I am keen to put on the record that over 40 regional events have been held throughout the country in order to make people aware of the national planning framework, what it is about, what it encompasses and the direction in which the country will go over the next 25 years. These 40 regional events have taken place since 2 February. Therefore, there has been a lengthy period of ten months for consultation. This document was not thrown together in a matter of weeks. I attended several of the events to which I refer because I have no wish to be Dublin-centric. I am keen to represent the country as a whole. At the events, many of the comments raised are echoed in the submissions, of which there have been almost 1,000. We can read these comments, which are included in the draft document. It is unfair to say that they have not been taken on board. In fact, it is somewhat insulting to say so. I appreciate the vast work that has gone into putting this document together. It is a little disrespectful to say that comments have not been taken on board.

We should not go back to being parochial about the areas we represent. We need only look at the spatial plans of the past, which threw in every town that was named by every public representative. If we do that, then we will go nowhere. This must be a targeted approach for sustainable growth for our country and quality of life for our citizens. It cannot come down to naming every town in the country or throwing in everything, including the kitchen sink. That is not what proper planning is about.

What will Ireland look like in 2040? What do we need to do? We need to plan for the needs of our future population. In that context, we must make a long-term plan rather than arrive at a quick fix. It is more important to do the right thing, which is often more difficult. It would be easy to name every town in the country. This is a proper document, unlike previous plans. It will be a statutory document, something we have never had before. That is why I believe in this plan. I am of the view that it will give my children and other children a future when they are older, whether in respect of school, employment, housing, jobs, tourism or whatever. It will give them options.

This plan is ambitious. It is ambitious because it is realistic and deliverable. It will give rise to many challenges but these will be challenges we will be able to surmount. Nothing is insurmountable. There are extraordinary opportunities and potential in the rural areas of our country and these have not yet been realised. However, we are addressing them in this national development plan. It is true that I represent a Dublin constituency. However, I am a national parliamentarian who has a big vision for our country. I can see the drive and the heart of our people and their willingness to better themselves all the time.

The implementation of the national planning framework will be as important as preparing it. Let us consider what is happening at present, especially in the context of housing, the satellite towns that surround Dublin and quality of life. Currently, approximately 10,000 people commute from Portlaoise to Dublin every day in order to get to work. While that might suit some, for others it does not represent quality of life. It can mean leaving before the children get up in the morning and getting home after they are in bed. It means not having quality of life with family and living in the car for an hour and a half each morning and evening. That is not reflective of proper planning and we need to rectify it.

We need to be flexible in respect of what our needs will be for the population growth that we know will materialise. We have to develop the country as a whole rather than be Dublin-centric. We risk choking Dublin and diminishing the quality of life here, while starving the regions of much-needed development and growth, whether in the context of investment in indigenous business, foreign direct investment or whatever. The point is that the opportunity has to be available. We can continue to develop the east coast if we so choose, but that would not represent sustainable or proper planning for our country.

We need to reduce our carbon footprint by integrating climate action into the planning system in support of national targets for climate policy and mitigation objectives, as well as targeting our greenhouse gas emissions. Our planning system needs to be responsive to environmental challenges. I welcome the comments in the national planning framework in this regard. We need to realise our island and marine potential with integrated land and maritime planning. We need to ensure that our ports are aligned in order to ensure the effective growth and sustainable development of our cities and regions in the context of fisheries, renewable energy, marine tourism and other potential areas for industrial development.

Some 40% of Ireland's population live within 5 km of the coast. I am one of the lucky 40%. Our coastal areas are key drivers for our tourism sector. We need only consider the success of the Wild Atlantic Way in this regard. We need to ensure that our coastal resource is managed in order to sustain its physical character and environmental quality while building on the existing natural asset. This is about managing land use and the movement of people as well as creating a quality of life for all.

All of this should happen while recognising the population growth and demographic changes that are expected. There will be approximately 1.3 million people over the age of 65 years by 2040. We need to plan for their needs in vibrant communities, whether in health, housing, employment, recreational or other areas.

As the economy continues its recovery and as we build more houses and improve the lives of people locked out of the housing market or trapped in emergency accommodation, one key challenge for all of us will be around expectations. The challenge will be to meet the expectations of people when it comes to important quality-of-life issues. Let us put this in context. In the context of planning we need to make homes more flexible and adaptable for people throughout their lives. This should be the case regardless of whether a home is a first home, a family home or a home for later in life. We need to create an environment where a person can choose to downsize to a managed and secure complex within her community that will cater for her needs, give her security, independence and familiarity. We need to develop communities that will cater to a person's needs from the time she is born to the time she passes.

We need a whole-of-Government approach to this plan. We need a whole-of-Ireland approach rather than the piecemeal approaches of the past. That was not proper planning. For the first time in my political career, I am lucky to be in a position to be part of the process relating to a document such as this, which, I believe, gives us the greatest opportunity as a country.

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