Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will talk about the planning guidelines in general and about issues that others have brought up. In the past year, a great number of young people in Carlow have come to me asking about the beautiful new timber cabin homes. As they cannot get mortgages, they are now looking at these lovely new cabins. Some of them have lovely sites and should be able to get planning permission. Some of these are what would have been called backyard developments on planning applications years ago. The parents of some of the people who come to me live on a full 1.5 acres. There would be loads of room to put in a cabin. It is very unfair. A great number of young people come to me who are trying to get a home of their own and who wish to live in one of these cabins for a few years but the planning guidelines are not there to help them. I really feel that this is the way forward. I understand that we cannot have timber cabins everywhere but we need some leniency. Common sense is missing here. I go to planners and tell them that these are young people who are trying to get on their feet and not to pay high rents because they cannot save for a mortgage but the planning guidelines just do not suit.

I will tell the Minister of State about another incident. I just cannot understand this. I spoke to a lovely couple who got a local authority house a few years ago. They have four beautiful children. They looked for an extension or a four-bed house. The county council said they could not provide that, which was fair enough. A family member then gave them a site and they went and got approved for a mortgage but the council will not look at them to build a house. It does not matter what guidelines we bring in; if we are not working with the people who need planning permission, it just will not add up. From working with families, I know they feel let down.

I know there are a lot of good guidelines in the Bill. There is no question about that. However, there has to be common sense within local authorities. It is the same with other guidelines. Families may have farms and three or four children. The guidelines may be such that one child can get planning permission while another cannot. We need proper guidelines under this Bill that give family members looking for planning permission an entitlement to it. I understand that we need proper guidelines and have to do things by the book. That is not the problem. However, this can sometimes be over-regulated and, when it is, it becomes an issue. Is there going to be any leniency on these types of guidelines? It just does not add up.

I will give another example, which is similar but comes near to the point. I know many people who are looking for extensions, which require planning permission. The council and the Department tell me that, unless you get a price of less than €70,000 for a bedroom and a bathroom - the grant is only €30,000 - the Department will not build it for you. People need an extra bedroom and bathroom but, because they cannot get them built for less than €70,000, the guidelines mean they will not get them. The council then tries to buy them a property. I could go on and on about the issues I face every day. We need common sense. We need regulations and have to do things by the book but things are happening that are letting down the younger people and older people who come into my office.

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