Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome that the Minister of State has said he wants people to live in rural Ireland. Let us make it happen. It is important, when we think about it, that various local authorities take various views on planning. Within each local authority, different planners take varying views as well. This is the inconsistency that is there. These guidelines need to be consistent. I come from a construction background. I do not think planners should be deciding on whether people have an overhang at the eaves of a house. This is what they get tied up with. I am aware of someone who wants to build a passive house. This means the house has to have a good overhang to allow for shading to keep it cool in the summer. It probably will not be acceptable from a design point of view. In today's world, the most important things needed for a house are a good foundation and wastewater treatment plant that can work in the ground in which it is set. This is all the planners should look at. They are dictating too much.

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