Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I go back to what I said to Deputy Doherty, namely, it is about quality and not just quantity, and we need to get balanced and good quality planning and development. I believe the national planning framework is correct in that we need more balanced regional development, more compact development and low carbon development. That means we need to see Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick in particular thrive as counterbalances to the rapid growth of the greater Dublin area. Half of the new housing is going into the greater Dublin area but it will not work for Dubliners or for people in Meath, Wicklow or Louth if everything happens in the east. We need that better balanced regional development. That is not to say we do not develop Meath but it means we do not abandon the national planning framework and the key policy decisions behind it. Yes, we need more housing but we have to make sure it is balanced in terms of being located right across the country and, in particular, those other cities need to grow.

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