Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is good that we are discussing this issue given that, as the document states, our towns and villages are vital economic, social and cultural assets. They provide us with a sense of space and of belonging. That is what the document says and nobody would deny that. Centrally, they are a home to businesses and to people living in them, and it is not just in rural Ireland that these towns and villages are important. Interestingly, the map contained in the document shows town centres with populations of more than 20,000, and there are many such towns in this city, some of which do not even have a proper town centre. For instance, my area, Cherry Orchard, has no town centre or village - nothing. There is a need, therefore, to address the same problems where they exist in cities that are identified here as needing this type of targeted approach.

I have worked on local area plans, including the plan for Cherry Orchard, with Dublin City Council and council colleagues. Likewise, a plan has been developed for the Bluebell area, where I live at the moment. It will soon be surrounded by apartment buildings and office blocks but they are all turning their backs on the town. It is a similar issue to that which exists in rural Ireland, where buildings are being built that force people to look away from the centre. That is why this plan is vital to turn back the clock. Nobody is suggesting that retail parks, at this stage, do not have a role, but it is sad to walk through different towns and villages and see the dereliction. A response is vital, and I do not think there is any opposition from any party to investing in and ensuring our towns and villages will develop.

Some Gaeltacht areas may not have specific town centres, in a similar way to Cherry Orchard, and there may be ribbon development. This is identified in Gaeltacht areas, in particular, where there is a pattern of location. There may not be a town centre in the sense that most people would understand, where there is a crossroads in the middle of one area. Often, it is a case of ribbon development, which many people do not want. We need to ensure we will not leave out Gaeltacht areas purely because some of the villages do not have traditional town centres.

In the context of the housing crisis, the document identifies that it should not be a case of providing housing at any cost. There are opportunities where there is dereliction and where there has been a move away from living over the shop. There have been initiatives by governments over the years to encourage people to live over shops. My party colleague Deputy Martin Kenny earlier described some of the problems. Some of the buildings are dilapidated, having been derelict for so long, and a great deal of investment will be required. Nevertheless, we do not necessarily want the likes of a two- or three-storey townhouse, for example, to be replaced with a five- or ten-storey building in a small village. There is a housing need, but it should not be housing at all costs. It should be appropriate housing in appropriate locations. If we address the dereliction issue with appropriate housing for town and village living, we can take the pressure off some of the urban areas.

The pandemic has shown us the value of working from home and the potential of the hubs that have been developed and are continuing to be developed, whereby people do not need to endure endless commutes to the city. This can breathe new life into towns that were abandoned because people had to sit in their cars and drive to Dublin or some other city for work.

Now we need to encourage people, if they can, to work from home or work as locally as they can remotely. That would breathe life into the local butchers, the local shop, local cafés and other local businesses. They would be staying at home and could ply their trade and spend their money and keep it locally. That would help us in this city because the pressure would be taken off for endless development of large apartment blocks in places where they may not be appropriate. There is a need for a considerable amount of development. This will not solve all of the housing needs of the city. In my area, there is a plan for 70,000 houses or apartments next to us. We do not have a problem with that because it is an area that is in dire need of housing but it needs to be planned properly.

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