Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

When I was a member of Cork County Council, we discussed one of the county development plans. It was called a common-sense approach. If a family and some siblings wanted to build on land, they should be facilitated if they work in the locality and are contributing to it. It was not an issue because there was a common-sense approach. The Minister of State referred to some of the specific actions to be undertaken. These could also be undertaken while the Bill proceeds to Committee Stage because it will complement the work.

This all goes back to ecological solutions - not ideas - to support people by providing grants schemes and assisting them with the costs relating to septic tank remediation. These are all the positive knock-on effects and building blocks from where sewage leaves the house, goes into the septic tank, passes through a filter unit and heads out into the willow bank. I cannot understand why, when a Member of this House - regardless of what party he or she belongs to - comes forward with a genuine solution that will benefit people, the intention is to stall the ball. The reason for such behaviour bemuses me on occasion.

We have to consider the bigger picture. People want to live near their parents. We have an ageing population. Previous speakers mentioned that we no longer have post offices, meeting places or local pubs. In some areas, we have nothing.

Many of the houses to which the Bill relates are 50 or 60 years old. The people who live in them are in their 70s. What is left for them? Reference was made for the plan up to 2040. In 40 years' time, there will be no one living in rural Ireland. The people who live there now will all be dead.

11 o’clock

We will end up with ruins and people will scratch their heads because there will be another 20,000 ha of pine trees and what will be done with them because there will be nobody to cut them down? Nobody will do it because everybody will be living in cities or will have emigrated. There are major implications from this. Regenerate local areas and bring back local people to live in those areas. The people with local knowledge will always benefit the local area.

This is not an idea but rather a fabulous solution. If the Government is genuinely interested in doing the right thing, as the Minister indicated in stating we can ensure the protection of the natural environment and water sources and "We will continue to support the provision of one-off rural housing", Deputy Martin Kenny's amending legislation will certainly add clout. It is an ecological solution that is working, as we have seen with the underground ecosystems involving the burial of a pipe 1.5 m underground. When it is run into the base of the house, it heats the building during the winter and cools it in summer. These are solutions rather than ideas, as they work. Please think about this. The other matters raised by the Minister can run parallel to this but it will be a year or so before the rest of those investigations are done. This is certainly something that is extremely positive and beneficial. It needs the full support of this House because it will benefit everybody in the long run. There is an ecological benefit. It is a win-win scenario so I cannot understand why the Government will not support it.

See this speech in context