John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to reiterate, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, and his colleagues, the importance of rural housing guidelines for much of the country. There are many communities around the country that are dispersed in nature, as the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, mentioned. It is possible to live in a community that is not in an urban setting. There is always an ongoing review of city and county development plans. Many of them are taking place at present. Each county council provides its own guidelines in respect of the development of rural housing, but there has been a more than ten-year gap since there were renewed guidelines from central Government. It is important for people and for the aims of the national planning framework on ensuring that there is a dispersal of the increase in population into rural areas that new rural housing guidelines would be published as soon as possible.

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