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

This is an area where we have to achieve a balance between trying to manage the extent of one-off housing and ribbon development and then trying to put in place more sustainable models for how we develop communities. I am referring to issues involved in communities living together, sharing resources and the provision of public transport networks etc. At the same time, we have to allow people to live in the parishes where they grew up and on their own land in some cases.

That is a constant balance that local authorities are trying to get right.

See this speech in context