Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have walked the boreens and seen dilapidated houses, with bigger and better houses built adjacent to them. I often wonder why a dilapidated house was not retained. Someone should take those houses over, even if it is the county council, and get them back into a reasonable state for somebody to live in. I am into practical solutions but the highest environmental standards have to be attached. I am not, by nature, in favour of serial objectors. I do not like that trend and phenomenon. We have seen in forestry, for example, how it has led to terrible damage to an important industry and endangered jobs and construction output. However, I have to be honest and state that I favour the idea of concentrating development in villages and towns.

See this speech in context